In December 2025, EKKOPOL and its Spanish partner Equiport SL organized at Marina Vela port, in Barcelona, the first port hydrocarbon pollution dry run of its kind in Spain. Around fifteen Catalan ports were represented. The result: a concrete success, with 4 DPOL® robots sold in the days that followed.
A differently designed dry run
The core idea of this day was simple and original: repositioning port managers. Rather than experiencing the exercise from their usual post, participants were placed at observation points they never occupy in their own ports : the boom deployment zone or directly at the heart of the simulated pollution area.
This change of perspective allowed participants to share experiences, compare practices and question often automatic reflexes. A rare pedagogical approach in this sector.
How the day unfolded
The morning started with a technical briefing on hydrocarbons, Marina Vela’s port context and its oil spill response plan. A general briefing then launched the simulation: a surprise pollution event, spill location unknown to the teams, reproduced with wood shavings, placing responders in real conditions of uncertainty.
Three observation zones were defined. Each group had to observe both the managerial aspects : decision-making, coordination, crisis communication and the technical aspects: boom towing, anchoring, sampling, and deployment of DPOL® robots.
Complementary technologies demonstrated in real conditions
The day also provided an opportunity to present several solutions in a concrete situation: the DPOL® robot for collecting floating waste and hydrocarbons, Port Water Control’s surveillance and alert cameras, and IADYS drones. This pooling of expertise offered port managers a comprehensive and innovative view of the tools available in the event of a hydrocarbon spill.
A report and concrete results
At the end of the dry run, a collective debrief session identified strengths and areas for improvement. EKKOPOL then submitted a full report to Marina Vela to optimize their anti-pollution processes and equipment.
Beyond the educational takeaways, the event had a direct commercial impact: 4 DPOL® robots were ordered by participating ports in the days that followed.
A format worth replicating
Building on this success, this event is a model we intend to develop in other countries. Training, demonstrating, and allowing port professionals to challenge one another — that too is part of EKKOPOL’s mission.
