Why bioremediation does not replace skimmers — and why that is a good thing
Nobody has to throw away the equipment they already own. That is, in fact, the strongest argument for adding bioremediation.
Two different jobs
A skimmer is built to move volume in open water: it sucks up the oily layer and deposits it in a tank. It is fast and effective wherever it can manoeuvre. Bioremediation does not compete on that ground — in fact, in open water with a lot of volume, a well-operated skimmer is faster.
Where bioremediation adds value is exactly what a skimmer cannot reach: breakwaters, pontoon corners, gaps between piles, dock walls. There is no volume to suck up there, just a thin film clinging to an irregular surface. No mechanical arm gets in there well.
Order matters
In a spill with significant volume, the logical order is: contain with a boom, remove volume with a skimmer or absorbent, and treat what is left with bioremediation — the residual film and the hard-to-reach zones. Reversing the order does not work: bioremediation is not designed to swallow a large spill in one go, it needs its reproduction and action time.
Why this is good news for your budget
Because we are not asking you to replace anything you already have. A port that already has a skimmer and booms does not throw that investment away: it completes it with the one thing it was missing, a constant response for the black zones those tools will never fully clean.
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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