|
BARGE
operators warned there may be a slowdown in the delivery
of products after most of their single-hulled vessels
cannot operate anymore as the government’s conditions
for allowing them to carry black oil are deemed “too
stringent.”
An
official of the Philippine Petroleum Sea Transport
Association (Philpesta) said regulator Maritime Industry
Authority, or Marina, may have virtually extended the
deadline for the barge owners to use single-hulled
vessels, but the conditions remain difficult as
companies have no choice but not to use their
single-hulled vessels.
The use
of single-hulled vessels to move oil, as allowed by the
government, has expired on April 30. Thereafter,
operators are mandated to use only double-hulled vessels
for safety and security reasons. Single-hulled vessels
can be used but only for the movement of “white oil”
such as gasoline.
The
Philpesta official, who spoke on condition of anonymity,
said the bond required by the government in the use of
single-hulled vessels for transporting oil and the
penalty for each day of compliance would squeeze the
revenues of members.
“We are
asking the
Marina to reconsider the penalty clause as we believe that the bond
money to be held in escrow by the authority is enough to
cover for whatever liabilities an operator has in cases
of oil spills,” the Philpesta official said.
He added
it might no longer be profitable for their members to
operate while waiting for double-hulled replacements.
In March
Marina extended the deadline for barge operators to
switch to double-hulled vessels until the end of the
year. However, operators would have to pay P25,000 a day
until compliance has been fulfilled, plus a P5 million
bond for each single-hull vessel plying within the
period as seed money in case of oil spills.
The bond
is refundable upon compliance in the absence of
accidents. The cost of conversion for a single-hulled
barge to a double-hulled starts at about P20 million,
depending on size. A new vessel would cost between P120
million and P150 million.
Double-hulled vessels are less prone to oil spills
during accidents, according to the Marina, since the
bottom and the sides of the tankers have two watertight
layers. The outer layer is the usual hull, the second
layer serves as backup.
At the
moment there are 22 barges that carry oil. Only eight
have so far been able to convert to the new standard,
and six double-hull vessels came into the country in the
aftermath of the sinking of the MT Solar I off Guimaras
Island in 2006, historically the country’s worst oil
spill.
Most oil
tankers in the country have since converted to
double-hulled and petroleum companies are now strict in
giving out hauling contracts. |
