Salvors needed to put Red Sea’s long-term environmental impact first amid Sounion disaster, says Ambipar Response

The long-term environmental impact of the Sounion vessel disaster, both of the vessel and the Red Sea, were at the forefront of the critical salvage operation, noted Ambipar Response, the emergency response division of Ambipar Group, who led the spill response and pollution prevention effort for the stricken 164,000 dwt tanker (IMO: 9312145) in August 2024.

After being struck by multiple missiles from Houthi rebels during a routine transit through the Red Sea, Sounion was left stranded and ablaze for 22 days. Crucially, the incident rendered the onboard cargo of more than 150,000 tonnes of crude oil at risk of spilling into the Red Sea due to the damage that was sustained to the vessel’s structure.

While the coordinated international response effort, which involved multiple salvage specialists and regional security forces, including Ambipar Response, Megatugs Salvage & Towage, EODEX, Ambrey, and the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), focused on securing the vessel and extinguishing the onboard fires, limiting the environmental impact of the vessel and its cargo on the Red Sea was the leading priority for the salvage effort.

“From the first moment of the salvage operation, we needed to ensure the long-term safety of the regional environment whilst controlling the immediate threats. Despite the complexity of the crisis, there was a clear understanding between the various salvage and firefighting parties involved to ensure that the environmental impact of the Sounion did not reach a worst-case scenario,” said Martin Barnes, Marine Response Lead at Ambipar Response.

The threat of continued attacks from Houthi rebels risked more than a million barrels of oil spilling into the Red Sea, potentially resulting in an incident that would be four times the size of the infamous Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989.

An incident of this size in the Red Sea risked completely shutting down the key trade route, impacting desalination plants that would cut off water supplies to millions in the region and causing untold damage to the unique ecology of the Red Sea.

“Being able to extinguish the fire, secure the tanker and safely tow it to a Port of Refuge without significant environmental impact was a scenario that many feared would be impossible,” said Barnes.

“This operation was a true test of the global salvage industry’s collective capabilities and preparedness. We are proud to have led this crucial environmental effort but we are also pleased to see that this became a truly international coordinated response that ensured diplomatic issues and security challenges did not hinder the long-term environmental impact of one of the world’s key waterways.

“The global marine response industry plays a vital role when it comes to global environmental safety and nowhere was that more evident than in the Sounion incident last year. This particular incident was made extra challenging owing to the ongoing security risks in the region but Ambipar Response’s contributions, including advanced oil containment systems, real-time environmental monitoring, and rapid deployment of specialised response units from around the world, ensured that the long-term environmental impact was kept as minimal as possible,” he added.

While operations of this magnitude remain rare, Barnes also noted that the Sounion incident underscored the need for salvage companies to continuously invest in preparedness and readiness for complex maritime crisis, while also advocating for greater awareness and education for all potential parties that could be impacted, such as insurance providers, port operators and vessel owners.