What impact will the oil tanker explosion have on the environment?

Wildlife experts have warned of potential damage to the environment after an oil tanker and cargo ship crashed in the North Sea.

Concern is growing for the potential damage to the environment caused by a toxic cocktail of fuel and sodium cyanide after the MV Solong cargo ship crashed into the Stena Immaculate oil tanker carrying jet fuel for the US army yesterday.

There are now fears that a group of gannets might well be impacted following a spill. The Stena Immaculate’s management firm Crowley confirmed it sustained a ruptured cargo tank after it was struck by Solong, a container ship.

This has caused jet fuel to be released into the water.

Bird experts at the RSPB say that there is a colony just 50 miles up the coast at Bempton Cliffs, which could be impacted by any pollution.

There were earlier concerns that MV Solong may have carried hazardous sodium cyanide. However, the shipping company Ernst Russ confirmed today ‘that there are no containers on board ladened with sodium cyanide.’

Follow our live updates on the oil tanker crash

Dave O’Hara, senior site manager at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, said: ‘We are extremely concerned about the potential for a leak from the tanker as oil pollution can seriously damage habitats and be lethal to seabirds.’

The east coast is home to an ‘internationally important populations of seabirds’ and the incident happened close to Bempton Cliffs where the gannet colony lives.

The UK Coastguard has said it is looking at the ‘likely’ counter-pollution response that may be needed following the incident.

A UK Coastguard spokesperson said: ‘The incident remains ongoing and an assessment of the likely counter pollution response required is being enacted.’

What happens when jet fuel mixes with water?

Tests of jet fuel show it rises to the top when mixed with water.

Jet fuel in the water is ‘likely to be longer lived and would require immediate action first to extinguish the fire,’ Dr Paul said, adding that using water so extinguish doesn’t help.

Once the fuel comes to the surface, it can then be removed.

‘Kerosene fuels are ‘light’, unlike ‘heavy’ crude oil, so we’re unlikely to be dealing with thick deposits washed up onshore and coating nesting birds. The risk is that the fuel might bioaccumulate, i.e. pass up the food chain,’ he explained.

This kind of jet fuel, known as ‘A-1’ is a type of kerosene compatible with ‘most jet aircraft’, according to energy company TotalEnergies Aviation. This includes helicopter turbine engines and both civil and military aircraft.

How long will the oil stay in the water for?

Clean-up operations can be complicated depending on where the spill took place.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on its website that ‘cleanup activities can never remove 100% of the oil spilled.’

Environmental advocates at the nonprofit Ground Truth Alaska said oil in water takes ‘anywhere from days to decades depending on conditions.’

Factors on how quickly oil will breakdown include the weather, temperature of the ocean and even the tide, among others.

When was the last oil spill in the UK?

A clean-up was sparked in February when diesel spilled into a chalk stream in the River Wandle, southwest London.

An estimated 4,000 litres of oil was spilled into the river via surface water drains, the Environment Agency said. The Wandle flows between The River Thames in Wandsworth and Croydon.

Further significant spills have also occurred. Around 200 barrels worth of oily water also leaked into Poole Harbour in March 2023.

Perenco UK, the operator, said microbial corrosion ina buried pipeline caused the leak from Wytch Farm oil field.

Poole Harbour is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and is the largest natural harbour in Europe.

As reported by the BBC, Perenco has said ‘clear measures’ were taken following the spill to prevent it from occurring in the future.

Conservationists have backed calls for an end to extraction at the site.

How is the rest of the UK going to be impacted by this spill?

An oil leak in the North Sea as a result of the incident has been confirmed, but is still being assessed. Wildlife experts have raised concerns, while the area of any potential leak is currently unclear.

Alex Lukyanov, who models oil spills at the University of Reading, said the environmental impact would depend on multiple factors, including ‘the size of the spill, weather conditions, sea currents, water waves, wind patterns and the type of oil involved.’

‘This particular incident is troubling because it appears to involve persistent oil, which breaks up slowly in water,’ he said. ‘The environmental toll could be severe.’

Greenpeace UK said it was ‘too early’ to say what the extent of the damage was.

A spokesperson said: ‘At this stage, it’s too early to assess the extent of any environmental damage. But the magnitude of any impact will depend on a number of factors, including the amount and type of oil carried by the tanker, the fuel carried by both ships, and how much of that, if any, has entered the water.

‘Sea and weather conditions will also be important in determining how any spill behaves.’

A total of 32 casualties have been reported so far and the full extent of the damage is not yet clear.

The chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, Martin Boyers, said casualties were brought in alive.

What are Gannets?

Gannets are identifiable by their white body and black wingtips.

They are distinctively shaped – with a long neck and long pointed beak, long pointed tail, and long pointed wings.

At sea they flap and then glide low over the water, often travelling in small groups.

They feed by flying high and circling before plunging into the sea.

They breed in significant numbers in only a few locations and are an Amber List species.

He said: ‘We have received three vessels bringing casualties in. First one brought 13 in, second one 10 and third nine.

‘Ambulances waiting on the quay to take them to Princess Diana Hospital.’

A HM Coastguard spokesperson said earlier: ‘HM Coastguard is currently coordinating the emergency response to reports of a collision between a tanker and cargo vessel off the coast of East Yorkshire.

‘The alarm was raised at 9.48am.

‘A Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Humberside was called, alongside lifeboats from Skegness, Bridlington, Maplethorpe and Cleethorpes, an HM Coastguard fixed wing aircraft, and nearby vessels with fire-fighting capability.

‘The incident remains ongoing.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.