An online oil pollution monitoring system has been installed at the oil dock of Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Hormozgan Province, director general of Hormozgan Ports and Maritime Organization said.
“The device uses electromagnetic waves to detect oil contamination in the range of its sensors and transmits a radio message to a receiver via radio transmitters,” Mehr News Agency quoted Allah-Morad Afifipour as saying.
“After receiving the frequency, the receiver informs the findings to a computer in case of any oil contaminants present in the water, and alerts the existence of pollution by sending its exact geographical location,” he added.
After that maritime and executive teams are sent to the location to take precautionary measures and prevent the spread of contamination to the surrounding areas.
This is the first time such a system is used in Iranian ports to detect oil spills in waters.
Oil spills make up about 12% of the oil that enter the oceans. The rest come from shipping travel, drains and dumping. ... Oil spills cause localized problems but can be catastrophic to local marine wildlife such as fish, birds and sea otters. Oil cannot dissolve in water and forms a thick sludge in the water.
Shahid Rajaee Port has three active oil docks. Due to the wide range of oil activities in this port and to prevent the harmful effects of oil spills on the environment and the aquatic ecosystem, the online oil pollution monitoring system has been installed there and later other docks and oil terminals will be equipped with the system too.
The port is considered as an important gateway to the import-export business.
Its importance is thanks to its unique geographical prximity at the nearest point to the Strait of Hormuz and the entrance to the Persian Gulf, as well as the short distance from the main intercontinental route of the ships, being located at the intersection of the North-South Transit corridor.
Located 23 kilometers west of the port city of Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan, Shahid Rajaee Port is Iran’s biggest container port. Over half of Iran’s commercial trading is conducted via Shahid Rajaee. The port also accounts for over 85% of all container traffic.
It covers about 2400 hectares and handles 100 million tons of cargo per year; it has a capacity of 40 berths, with the largest and advanced container terminaly. Steel and crude oil are among goods handled in this port.
