University of Aberdeen and Gall Thomson Environmental Limited KTP 23_24 R6

Oil tankers unloading at dockside risk spilling petroleum into the sea when a hose is torn loose during an accidental vessel drift—a "breakaway" event. This project develops a new Marine Breakaway Coupling (MBC) that automatically seals the hose on both sides the instant it separates, preventing any fluid from escaping into the environment. Current MBC designs can still leak during a breakaway, releasing harmful petroleum into coastal waters. The gap is a coupling that achieves true zero-spill performance under the high flow rates and pressures typical of tanker unloading. The new coupling must detect a breakaway faster and seal more reliably than existing models. If successful, the coupling could eliminate a routine source of oil pollution at ports and offshore terminals. That means fewer clean-up costs, less harm to marine life, and tighter compliance with environmental regulations. The impact is on infrastructure that most people never see—the hoses, valves, and couplings that quietly transfer millions of tonnes of oil every year—but that directly affects the health of coastal ecosystems. This is applied engineering with a clear, near-term environmental benefit.