Georgia, Tbilisi, 6 October / Trend Capital corr. N.Kirtskhalia/ Georgiaїs Minister for Protection of Environment and Natural Resources Irakli Gvaladze got acquainted in private with the probability of environmental catastrophe on the Black Sea due to shipwreck of the Ukrainian Skadovsk.
їThe sunken ship has been fortified. One more storm is expected to begin in near future. The ship must be prevented from further damage,ї said Gvaladze.
The probability of sea pollution is real, for there was about 30,000 tons of fuel on the ship. The fuel has to be prevented from spilling, he said.
Georgian and Ukrainian specialists are operating to prevent environmental catastrophe by request of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), the owner of the Kulevi port.
One man died and two got missed as a result of accident of the Ukrainian Skadovsk ship, which was engaged in dredging operations in Georgiaїs Black Sea Kulevi port.
їThe ship turned over today at 5.00am, Georgian time, as a result of a storm (6-7 points). On 30 September, the vessel was beached and got a hole. Specialists from Ukraine arrived and decided to get the ship off through haulage. The ship turned over during the haulage,ї terminal said on 3 October.
A total of 28 out of 31 people abroad were rescued.
The accident did not affect the operation of the terminal. There is no obstacle for vessels to enter the port. Loading is not being implemented at the moment, as there is no order. Dredging operations were carried out in the port to enable large ships to enter the port.
The SOCAR-owned Kulevi terminal can simultaneously accept up to 168 cistern carriages. Transhipment capacity of the terminal will total 10mln fluid cargo per year, including 3mln tons of oil, 3mln tons of diesel fuel, 4mln tons of fuel oil. The tank batteryїs capacity totals 320,000 cu m. There are plans to increase the transhipment capacity of the terminal up to 20mln tons and the tank battery up to 380,000 cu m.
The terminal includes 4 railways, entrance canal and three piers. There is also a laboratory in Kulevi for testing the oil and oil products in accordance with the international standards and a mobile of tanker park comprising 9 subsidiary vessels as well as a new railway line Kolkheti-Kulevi (13.8km of length).
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