A spill response plan that combines boom, skimmer and bioremediation

A good plan does not pick one method: it decides in what order and at what moment each one comes in.

0-1 hContain and startContainment boom + portable bioremediation already running1-4 hOptimal reproductionThe bacteria reach maximum effectiveness1-2 daysHydrocarbon removedSkimmer removes volume in parallel if present
The three phases are not mutually exclusive: they overlap. Containment starts at minute one and bioremediation can begin within the first hour.

Phase 1 — The first 60 minutes

Priority: stop the slick from spreading. Deploy the containment boom. With the portable system, operational from day one after brief training, you can start applying the bioremediator to the spill in under an hour.

Phase 2 — From hour 1 to hour 4

Optimal bacterial reproduction takes 4 hours: that is the point of maximum effectiveness. If there is significant volume in open water, this is also the moment for the skimmer, removing the oily layer while bioremediation works where the skimmer cannot reach.

Phase 3 — 1 to 2 days

The treated hydrocarbon turns into CO₂ and water. There is no waste to manage from that part of the spill, unlike what the skimmer or absorbents remove, which does require later disposal.

Who does what

  • Containment boom: limits the spread. It treats nothing, only contains.
  • Skimmer / absorbents: remove volume in open water. They generate waste to manage.
  • Bioremediation (PortCleaner): treats what is left and what is not accessible: corners, walls, residue after the mechanical pass. Generates no waste.
The most common mistake is not picking the wrong method — it is having no plan that combines all three, and finding that out in the middle of a real spill.

Want the full technical dossier?

System details, reports from the CSIC and the University of Vigo, and the Spanish Merchant Marine approval.

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