VESSEL REVIEW | Suigang Environmental Protection 6 – Oil spill response vessel with secondary firefighting and rescue functions
The Guangzhou Port Authority in China recently welcomed a new large oil spill response vessel to its fleet.
Suigang Environmental Protection 6 (穗港环保6; Suigang Huanbao 6) was built by Jiangxi Jiangxin Shipbuilding to a design developed by the 605 Research Institute subsidiary of the China Shipbuilding Group.
The newbuild has an LOA of 75.8 metres (249 feet), a moulded beam of 15.2 metres (49.9 feet), a draught of 5.7 metres (19 feet), a moulded depth of 7.2 metres (24 feet), and a hull suitable for navigation in coastal areas. An electric propulsion setup consisting of three 2,500kW generators and two azimuthing propellers will deliver a service speed of 16.5 knots.
Configured for safe operation under offshore conditions
The installed spill recovery system includes four dedicated tanks for storing up to 1,100 cubic metres (240,000 gallons) and unmanned aerial and surface vehicles for expanding the vessel’s monitoring coverage. The system can recover spilled oil at a rate of 460 cubic metres (100,000 gallons) per hour.
A dynamic positioning system will permit safe recovery operations even under Beaufort Force four conditions characterised by wind speeds of up to 16 knots. An intelligent command system has also been installed to combine the functions of data monitoring, video surveillance and analysis, making it suitable for command and control use in incident response.
Deck space is available for two tenders and a self-propelled lifeboat should evacuation of the vessel become necessary.
Dimensions and capabilities permitting other types of emergency response
The vessel can also be used for external firefighting thanks to the installation of two monitors and a water curtain system. Other secondary duties will include maritime safety patrols, environmental monitoring, emergency towing, and search and rescue.
Suigang Environmental Protection 6 was designed and built in compliance with China Classification Society requirements. The vessel’s area of operations encompasses the Pearl River Estuary and the Greater Bay Area located between Guangdong province, Hong Kong, and Macau.
