Oil spill protection at Malmö

The project has taken two years and has been conducted in partnership with Gothenburg-based SP Marine.

During the launch, Kjell-Arne Landgren, chairman of the local emergency service, Räddningstjänsten Syd, sent the little red torpedo off on its maiden voyage before a group of specially invited guests and a throng of journalists.

A long boom trails behind the torpedo that is designed to encircle the oil in the event of a spill. It takes about five minutes for the torpedo to reach the other side. This technology is called an autonomous surface vessel or ASV for short.

“The torpedo is equipped with an advanced GPS system which navigates towards one or several receiving stations on the other side of the basin,” said Kurt Sjöblom, managing director of SP Marine. “Previously, after contacting the emergency services, you had to row out in a boat and lay the heavy boom by hand,” commented Lennart Pettersson, deputy chief executive oficer of CMP. He said every minute counts when a spill occurs.

As the torpedo is remote-controlled and driverless, it can be launched immediately. The torpedo is very much in line with CMP’s strong environmental profile, and Johan Röstin expressed a hope that this innovation will catch on at other ports. According to Kurt Sjöblom from SP Marine, there is strong interest in the torpedo both nationally and internationally. After CMP, Gothenburg is next in line.

“In addition to its use in ports, a torpedo could also be mounted on the stern of a coastguard boat,” he said.