RICHARDS BAY COAL CARRIER SALVAGE TO TAKE 550 DAYS
By: Mercury Reporter 2014-01-02 It will take salvagers 550 days to remove the remaining forward and mid sections of coal carrier the MV Smart from just outside Richards Bay’s harbor entrance – an operation that will include the dumping of the remaining coal payload from the wreck. The Smart, fully laden with 150 000 tons of coal and 1 900 tons of fuel, ran aground in rough seas in August, hitting a sandbank close to the port. The ship then broke in two. |
The aft section was towed out to sea and scuppered in October.
“Wreck removal operations for the forward and mid sections of the Smart have commenced, with the tenders awarded to Titan Maritime and T & T Salvage.” Said SA Maritime Safety Authority spokesman Nigel Campbell. “The fuel and stern sections have already been successfully removed, but the removal of the remainder of the wreck presented unique challenges.” “The operation will commence with the removal of the remaining cargo of coal and disposed in an approved offshore location.” Once this is completed, part of the wreck will be refloated and scuppered at sea. The remaining sections of the ship, which are badly damaged, will first be cut into smaller parts. The operation will be supervised by the Department of Environmental Affairs, the Maritime Safety Authority and Richards Bay Port Authority. |