MSC BALTIC III

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73 containers still on board

A total of 1665.7 m3 of heavy oil and other pollutants have been removed from the ' MSC Baltic III' as of Sep 11. Work was ongoing to clean the residual fuel that remained in the tanks. There were 73 containers remaining onboard the vessel. The majority of these containers were below deck and submerged in water. These containers must be lifted and drained before they can be moved off the vessel. This is a complex process and is being advanced as weather conditions allow operations to continue safely. Fluctuating levels of hydrogen sulfide gas have been detected onboard the 'MSC Baltic III' due to spoiled food in some of the cargo. This was generating an unpleasant smell in the area of the vessel. The levels were being continuously monitored and precautions are being taken by crews working on site. There is no risk to the public. Ballast water was being added to the grounded vessel to help keep the ship stable in preparation for winter and worsening weather conditions. Construction of the cableway system was ongoing. On-water and shoreside surveys, and drone overflights, to monitor for pollution continued as conditions were allowing.

Cableway will offer access to MSC Baltic III during winter

As the summer was drawing to a close, the crews salvaging the grounded MSC Baltic III were turning their focus to making a plan to winterize the 'MSC Baltic III'. Efforts have been ongoing ever since the grounding to assess the ship’s condition and remove any potential pollutants aboard. The bulk of the heavy fuel oil in the ship’s six primary tanks was safely removed earlier in summer. As of Sep 4, most of the residual heavy fuel oil left in those six tanks, which could not be removed by the heating and pumping process, had also been removed. the contractors now considered four of the six primary tanks to be adequately flushed off residual oil. There may be a requirement (for the salvage crew) to do more. The process being employed to cleanse the primary tanks of residual heavy motor fuel involves adding diesel fuel, or marine gas oil, from other, smaller tanks that are aboard the 'MSC Baltic II'I to dilute the heavier fuel oil. All of those other smaller tanks have all been cleansed and have been inspected to the approval of the federal standards required. One thing that is being done in preparation for the coming colder seasons is the construction of a cableway that will provide the crews access to the ship from the Cedar Cove shoreline. Essentially, the cableway will be a sort of zipline that will carry a caged box. It will only be used to transport personnel back and forth. Currently, crews access the 'MSC Baltic III' from either the starboard side by boat via a set of stairs or on the port side via the walk-to-work platform aboard the 'Eems Dublin', which that has been onsite to assist in removing cargo containers from the vessel. A stone pad has been constructed on the hill above the beach at Cedar Cove, from which the cableway system will travel out to the ship’s deck. While use of the cableway will still be weather-dependent, it should provide more consistent access than the two approaches that rely upon steadier sea states. Daily access and after September when the weather starts getting worse will probably drop back to 50 % or more. The 'Eems Dublin' will stay in the area to facilitate the transfer of personnel and containers. It will remain available, as weather permits, until all container operations are done and the cableway system is completed. While the Canadian Coast Guard is mostly concerned about the potential pollutants still aboard the 'MSC Baltic III', the salvage crews have switched their focus for the time being to the ship’s cargo. The 'MSC Baltic' was carrying 472 containers, around half of which were empty. As of Sep 4, 399 of these had been removed, leaving 73 to go. The remaining containers were all below deck and in holds that contained water. The cargo included some food items and some newsprint, some of which has been soaked and likely now too heavy to be lifted out by the ship’s cranes. The wet newsprint has swelled, while the food has been spoiled and continues to decay with each passing day. The rotten food has also generated gases that can make working in the area a challenge, with levels being monitored to determine if personal protection equipment and breathing apparatus might be required for crews. While the Canadian Coast Guard has asked the general public to stay away from the Cedar Cove area while the salvage operations were ongoing, they have not been forcing people to stay away from what has become a popular destination for sightseers. It was still too early to tell if the 'MSC Baltic III' can eventually be refloated and safely towed away from Cedar Cove. Regular dive surveys of the double-hulled ship continue to monitor the underwater, exterior condition of the ship and gather information to help with winterizing the vessel. A schedule for dive operations has been set for the coming months. and dives will likely take place after any significant storms or other events that might raise any cause for concern. The condition of the inner was is still a question that had yet to be answered. Its condition could determine whether or not the ship can be refloated. No tar balls have been found since July, although crews doing beach surveys continue to see and clean up small tar stains in Cedar Cove and nearby shorelines. Report wiith photos: https://www.saltwire.com/newfoundland-labrador/cableway-to-msc-baltic-iii

333 containers and most fuel removed

The Canadian Coast Guard has reached a milestone in the salvage operation for the 'MSC Baltic III'. The bulk of the oil has been removed from the internal tanks, and nearly three-quarters of the containers have been offloaded. Fuel has been and remained the largest concern for the vessel.. The weather and grounding caused cracks in the hull, and the vessel has been weeping small amounts of oil, with a few tar balls found along the shorelines. There were 1,600 metric tons of heavy fuel oil and Marine Gas Oil aboard as fuel and approximately 475 containers, more than half were empties. A total of 333 containers have been offloaded as of Auig 19, with a further 142 boxes remaining on the vessel. With the fuel tanks largely empty, the focus was now on the approximately 10 % of residual oil aboard. The Coast Guard considered the remaining fuel oil equally important because if it were to leak, it could still cause significant environmental damage. No plans have been announced for the hulk.