The nation's first emergency drill for a biofuel spill was held at Tangshan's Jingtang Port.

On September 10, 2026, the "2026·Green Mission" emergency drill for biofuel spill in the Bohai Sea was successfully completed at Tangshan Jingtang Port. This was China's first specialized emergency drill targeting biofuel spills from ships.

The drill simulated a scenario where a ship carrying biodiesel experienced a spill during loading operations at the dock, resulting in approximately 10 tons of biodiesel leaking into the sea. Upon receiving the alarm, the Tangshan Maritime Safety Administration's Traffic Control Center immediately initiated an emergency response, issued a navigation warning, and designated a traffic control zone. The maritime patrol vessel "Haixun 04501" quickly arrived at the scene to act as the on-site commander, coordinating multiple teams including a drone squad, oil spill cleanup vessels, and dock emergency forces to work collaboratively: drones equipped with fluorescence detection devices identified the polluted area; dock emergency personnel deployed oil recovery machines to collect the spilled oil; and oil spill cleanup vessels towed oil containment booms to encircle the oil spill on the sea surface and activated spraying devices to emulsify and remove the oil film. The entire handling process was closely coordinated, tense, and orderly.

Biodiesel differs from traditional fuel oil in that its spill traces are difficult to detect with the naked eye under natural light conditions. For this drill, the Tangshan Maritime Safety Administration applied 355-nanometer ultraviolet light for the first time, combined with drones equipped with fluorescence detection devices, to accurately trigger the characteristic fluorescence signals of biodiesel and quickly pinpoint the boundaries of the spill. This effectively solved the problem of biodiesel spills being "invisible and hard to measure," providing reliable data support for subsequent containment and recovery efforts.

Compared to traditional fuel oil, biodiesel has environmental advantages such as biodegradability and low sulfur content. However, its environmental pollution and detection methods after a spill are entirely different from traditional oil spills, posing new challenges for maritime pollution emergency response. This drill systematically tested the full-chain emergency response capabilities, from incident reporting, aerial scanning, surface containment, oil spill recovery, to residual cleanup. It has accumulated valuable experience for the construction of China's green shipping safety assurance system.

Next, the Tangshan Maritime Safety Administration will take this drill as an opportunity to deepen the implementation of the "Green Bohai Action," further strengthen the training of specialized personnel and the development of equipment reserves, improve the emergency response plan for biofuel spills, and comprehensively enhance the capacity for pollution risk prevention and accident response for new and clean energy ships, effectively safeguarding the ecological environment safety of the Bohai Sea area.