A new report titled published in October 2024 by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), highlights the growing environmental risks posed by Russian ‘shadow’ tankers.
Authored by Petras Katinas and Luke Wickenden, the report titled Ensuring an ecological disaster: ‘Shadow’ tanker spill could cost coastal states USD $1.6 bn, presents detailed data on how these vessels, often operating without adequate protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance, threaten coastal states.
'Shadow' tankers are typically anonymously owned vessels which are used to skirt sanctions put in place on oil trades by Western governments. Their numbers have increased significantly in recent years following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to the research, since the EU's 2022 embargo and the G7's price cap on Russian oil, Russia has assembled a fleet of 294 shadow tankers. These vessels frequently turn off their automatic identification systems (AIS) to evade detection, carrying large volumes of crude oil through high-traffic maritime routes, significantly increasing the risk of an ecological disaster.
The report, warns that the cleanup from a potential oil spill involving a typical shadow tanker, which can carry around 100,000 tonnes of crude oil, could reach as high as USD $1.6 billion in Southeast Asia, where costs per tonne of oil spilled are significantly higher at USD $16,006. In Europe, the figure could be around USD $859 million.
The figures show that from January to August 2024, several major shipping lanes experienced dramatic increases in shadow tanker traffic compared to 2022. In Europe, the Danish Straits saw a 277% rise in these vessels, with 64% of Russian oil passing through on shadow tankers. The Dover and Gibraltar Straits witnessed a 355% increase, and 67% of the oil transiting these straits was carried by these vessels.
The Suez Canal recorded a 649% surge in shadow tanker activity, with 69% of the oil being transported by this fleet. Similar trends were noted in Asia, where the Korean Straits saw a 351% increase, and the Strait of Malacca, a vital global oil choke point, saw a 151% rise, with shadow tankers responsible for 72% of Russian crude oil transported.
Bunkerspot previously reported that, according to Allianz, there have been 50 incidents involving shadow tankers since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
CREA, a Finland-based independent research organisation, focuses on analysing air pollution trends and solutions, and calls for better oversight of these uninsured and aging vessels operating in critical global shipping lanes.
The full report can be found here.
