Project Scope and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

This project seeks to introduce technologies and facilities for establishing an emergency demonstration centre in the Port of Qingdao, Shandong Province to recover small scale spills and control larger spills. It is based on programme area 12E of China's Agenda 21 concerning promoting sustainable development of transportation and communication.

1. Background

Marine accidents resulting in oil spills and leakage have seriously impacted China's coastal environment. Currently 500 spillage events occur annually and in the latter half of 1993 three tankers exploded in Chinese waters. Spills have become more common in the wake of increased international oil shipment despite more stringent shipping regulations.

The Chinese Government has instituted the State "Emergency Plan for Oil Pollution Management on the High Seas" and formed an emergency response team for pollution in port areas. It has also begun formulating an emergency response plan for spillage from ships. China is now acting in cooperation with adjacent countries to mitigate the impact of accidental spills.

The Ministry of Communications (MOC) launched a program to study and develop emergency response technologies for oil spills during the 6th and 7th Five-Year Plans resulting in the development and application of some technologies. Approximately US$ 5 million has also been invested to import oil spill control facilities which have been installed at several major ports.

Spill management technologies include monitoring, identification, warning and recovery components. Some developed countries embarked on spill control technology research in the 1960s and have developed effective prevention and control systems. China is only now developing spill management technologies and has capability of produce a limited number of oil fences, dispersing or coagulation agents and skimmer which are inadequate for addressing its needs. Equipment for oil spill monitoring, recovery, and cleaning remain unavailable. Thus there remains a wide gap between China's capabilities and international spill control technology and personnel training.

Oil spill management technologies are costly and require extensive maintenance. Although China has imported several emergency facilities, these are inadequate for its needs. Currently, none of China's ports are adequately equipped with emergency facilities, nor can they provide training for meeting emergency response requirements.

The port of Qingdao, which is frequently a site of accidents has suffered serious losses due to the lack of the recovery technology and facilities. Therefore, technical and financial aid is needed in order to introduce advanced oil spill monitoring and removal technologies and to establish a marine emergency demonstration centre.

2. Objectives

• Introduce technology and facilities for establishing an emergency demonstration centre in the Port Qingdao to recover small scale spills and control larger spills, according to the model designed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

• 3.1 Establish an emergency management administration at the Port of Qingdao.
  • Install a spill emergency management system at the Port of Qingdao spill management headquarters.
  • Formulate a spill emergency plan and put into operation.

• 3.2 Establish an information system for spill emergency management
  • Investigate the location, scope and economic value of aquatic resources; aquaculture; coastal, scenic, sightseeing and protected areas under the jurisdiction of the Port of Qingdao.
  • Investigate and record the historic hydro-meteorological, water quality and geologic data of the region.
  • Estimate the annual output and freight volume of petroleum and determine the specifications and recovery method of frequently transferred petroleum products.
  • Determine the quality, classification, location, and capacity of national spill management facilities along with manpower resources and specialty of experts engaged in emergency response work.
  • Compile information concerning the type, performance, operation, scope of application and cost of spill management facilities and equipment produced in China and abroad.
  • Establish a MIS database for spill management for the above information.

• 3.3 Introduce and adopt spill prevention and management technology.

  • Introduce advanced spill monitoring and warning systems, including aerial remote sensing, fixed location infrared remote sensing and radar monitoring technology from overseas.
  • Develop rapid and high precision spill identification technology for application in China and other developing nations.
  • Conduct applied research on spill decontamination for application in China and other developing nations.
  • Introduce and develop spill recovery and treatment technologies. Facilities capable of recovering medium scale spills shall be placed into operation.
  • Develop spill contamination loss estimates and evaluate the cost for emergency response and mitigation.
  • Assess the impact of oil spills on coastal and marine ecology.

• 3.4 Build capacity for prevention and control of oil spills.

  • Select and send personnel for spill management training programs organized by IMO.
  • Invite international experts to China to train Chinese spill management personnel.
  • Train administrative officers, managers and emergency response personnel and being participated in practice drills.
  • Disseminate spill prevention and control information about emergency response personnel and the general population in anticipation of their participating in catastrophic spill imitation efforts.

  This project will be jointly undertaken by MOC, the Port of Qingdao and relevant Research and Design Institutes. The duration of this project will be three years.

5. Benefits

This project will assist the Port of Qingdao to prevent and manage accidental oil spills from marine accidents. The project will introduce state of the art spill control technology to China and develop emergency response management capabilities.

The proposed demonstration centre will not only act as an example for other ports to follow, but also lay a foundation for establishing an overall spill emergency response system throughout China and the region. Improving China's spill prevention and management capabilities would at minimum reduce annual economic losses by US$ 10 million and protect nation's coastal environment and biological resources.