What is Port Reception Facility?

The merchant fleet of ships in the shipping industry is generally divided into two main categories-Dry ships, which carry dry cargo in bulk & Wet ships, which carries liquid cargo in bulk. Both these types of ships generate oily residue mixture and garbage during their normal shipping and cargo carrying operation at ship and at port.

The oil residue mixture and garbage generated by the vessel cannot be discharged directly to the sea as per the law to avoid Marine pollution and hence they are disposed to the Port reception facilities all around the world.

Port Reception facility is a kind of provision that any international shipping port must provide to collect residues, oily mixtures, and garbage generated from a sea going vessel. The arrangements must be such that the receiving operation can be performed as fast as possible to avoid undue delay of the ship.

The main operations from which oil residue is generated on ships are are:

• Sludge generated by the operation of Purifier

• Sludge generated by the operation of Oil water separator

• Cargo tank Washing in Oil tankers

• Dirty Ballast tank washing in oil tankers

• Fuel oil and other oil tank cleaning

• Garbage generated onboard which cannot be disposed at sea

• Exhaust gas cleaning system remaining

• Incinerator ash remaining

• Sewage residue generated in plant or holding tank

Following Ports must have Port Reception Facility

• Sea port and terminals entertaining ships with sludge tank

• All ports which have ships generating oily bilge water and other residue that cannot be discharged into the sea.

• All ports which are loading crude oil

• All ports loading and discharging bulk cargo in respect to oil residue from combination carriers

• All ports and terminals in which 1000 Tonnes/ day oil other than crude oil is loaded

• All port having ship repair yards and providing tank cleaning facility

The Port reception Facility must be sufficient in capacity to receive dirty oil and other residues, and also provide quick and efficient services.

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