Force7 Demonstration
EDS has recently collaborated with a group of European partners to research and develop a technical solution for recovering oil spills under Force 7 weather conditions.
The Problem: At present, if there is an oil spill at sea or in open water, there is no effective means of recovery.
Existing Solutions: Current practices involve deploying containment booms around the spill to limit its spread, followed by burning off the oil from the water’s surface. This method is difficult to apply in rough weather. Alternatively, the oil is left to disperse and degrade naturally, which can cause significant environmental impact.
R&D Work Undertaken: EDS worked with project partners to develop the Force7 oil recovery system. Our role was to operate and deploy the device during trials. The equipment was designed to be mounted on a vessel for rapid deployment in the event of an oil spill, with the capability to operate in sea conditions of up to Force 7 winds. Unlike existing methods, the system recovers oil back to the vessel for recycling or safe disposal.
Force7 Demonstration Trial Objectives:
- To prove the mop material will collect oil and repel water
- To demonstrate the deployment method from a single moving vessel
At our workshop, the EDS team constructed a ‘fast tank’ fitted with a single mop to test how effectively the new material could remove oil from water. This proved highly successful.
EDS also facilitated and arranged site trials in Cardiff Bay, identifying a suitable vessel and installing/mounting the unit. Minor modifications were carried out at our base to ensure correct deployment and recovery of the mop. Our team then conducted the Cardiff Bay trials, demonstrating effective deployment and recovery of the mop from a vessel and proving the system’s viability for oil spill recovery.
Trial Outcome: The demonstration successfully provided proof of concept. The next stage will involve recovering oil from open water — not as a planned trial, but as an agreed response to an actual spillage incident — to test the Force7 equipment in real-world conditions.
This video shows the EDS team operating the mop and vessels in Cardiff Bay, alongside the fast tank oil removal tests at our workshop facility.
