The largest annual oil spill response exercise in the Baltic Sea begins on Monday 26 August near Klapeida, Lithuania. Eight countries come together to test the mutual alarm system and multinational oil spill response to prepare for major incidents. The Finnish delegation is led by the Finnish Border Guard in the exercise.

Lamor’s oil spill experts Timo Pylkkä and Miikka Törrönen join the exercise as observers. Lamor’s oil spill response technology will also be used in the exercise, as over a hundred vessels in the Baltic Sea are equipped with it. For instance, skimmers can collect even hundreds of litres of oil in a minute.

“The Baltic Sea is a shallow and vulnerable sea, hence preparedness for environmental incidents is essential. The sea has heavy traffic, and the risk level is further increased by the ghost fleet transporting oil”, states Törrönen, who previously had a long career in the Finnish defence forces and captained a vessel that participated in oil spill response operations.

”The majority of all Russian crude oil exports navigate through the Baltic Sea. The pressure on the already strained oil spill collection capabilities in the region has increased. While significant strides have been made, there’s a compelling need for enhanced cross-border collaboration to further address the escalating risks in the Baltic Sea”, says Johan Grön, CEO of Lamor.

While Lamor’s oil spill response technology is operational in every Baltic Sea country, the company also is responsible for the operation of two oil spill response base of EMSA. European Maritime Safety Agency. These stockpiles are located in Finland and the Netherlands.

“The international cooperation is very important when an environmental incident occurs. The oil spill can spread at a fast pace to the neighbouring countries, and resources of a single country may be inadequate to handle the situation”, describes Pylkkä. “Even though Lamor has evolved into a solver of many types of global environmental challenges, the development of oil spill response technologies and preparedness is the foundation, on which Lamor was build decades ago.”

The exercise is a part of The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) cooperation. BALEX exercises have been organised for 35 years in different parts of the Baltic Sea, with each country in turn leading and executing it. This year, Lithuania is responsible for the exercise that will take place on
26–29 August.

Lamor has over 40 years of experience in oil spill response technologies and competencies. Its solutions are sold globally. The company has also prepared contingency plans, trained oil spill responders, assisted in environmental incidents and created standards to ensure the compatibility of oil spill response technologies in different countries.

In addition to oil spill response, Lamor operates globally in soil remediation and restoration, delivers solutions to waste management and water treatment challenges, as well as chemical recycling of plastics.