40 tons oil spilled into sea, Turkish firm admits

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

AA Photo

Aksa Energy confirmed on July 17 that around 40 tons of fuel oil had been spilled in the sea because of an accident during refueling at Kalecik power plant in Turkish Cyprus, adding that they had taken the necessary measures and the accident did not affect any of the operations at the plant.

The company stopped the spill immediately and placed a barrier around the oil leak to prevent pollution into the sea or on land, it said in a statement to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP).

AKSA employed a professional company to participate in the clearing of oil from the surface of the water, it said, adding that any damage to the environment or third persons would be covered by insurance.

It added that the power plant continued to generate electricity in line with its normal program.

A major oil spill was reported July 16 at the Aksa power plant in Kalecik. Oil was being offloaded from a tanker to the plant when pressure built up in a pipe, and it subsequently burst. Minister for Tourism and the Environment Mehmet Harmanci confirmed that oil had discharged from the burst pipe for approximately 10 minutes, releasing over 100 tons of oil into the sea, covering an area of 5 kilometers.