The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are in Aberdeen conducting three days of training exercises, as they test how prepared the UK is for a major oil spill.

The three-day event is the largest of its kind to take place in 2023, and involves hundreds of metres of equipment, a small flotilla of vessels and about 50 people from various organisations.

Specialist kit involved in the training includes booms to limit the spread of pollutant, equipment known as skimmers to suck it up, and a huge storage bag to hold it ready for disposal.

It includes scenarios such as a theoretical spill of 750 tonnes of oil close to the coast.

No real oil or real dispersant spray will be used during the exercise.

Protecting Communities and Habitats

MCA chief executive Virginia McVea said: “As well as honing our capability and spotting any gaps, the exercise is a clear demonstration of how well prepared we are as a country to protect our offshore habitats, coastline, economy and communities from pollution at sea.”

Stan Woznicki, the MCA’s head of counter-pollution and salvage, said: “Major training exercises such as these are key components of a wider training programme as they familiarise the teams with the considerable size and complexity of the response equipment, as well as the number and diversity of the personnel needed to deliver an effective response.

“Where delivery of response must be delivered quickly, this experience is crucial.”