Environmental protection measures and initiatives

Saras has implemented a number of initiatives as part of its environmental policy, including the installation of desalination plants to reduce the use of primary water sources in Sardinia, and the treatment and recovery of liquid industrial waste to protect the sea and coast line. The amount of waste waster discharged into the sea is continuously monitored; sampling and analysis is regularly below existing legal limits.

Conscious that we must preserve and limit any type of alteration of the environment, over 96% of the ships that Saras uses to transport oil and refined products by sea are twin-hulled in anticipation  of maritime traffic legislation due to take effect in 2010. The remaining 4% are in any case ships that enforce a strict separation between areas containing hydrocarbons and ballast water.

Measures to protect the marine environment also include minute-by-minute monitoring of oil tankers both arriving at and departing from the Sarroch terminals. Against this backdrop, vetting inspections are regularly carried out at other ports by trusted Saras personnel, in accordance with international criteria, as are spot pre-mooring inspections at the roadstead. As regards the quality of the vegetation, in conjunction with Cagliari University, Saras implemented inspection and monitoring of the environmental systems and habitats in the geographical region around the Sarroch site.