Salvors clear almost all cargo from wrecked MSC Baltic III
Only a handful of boxes remain before the hull is split and the bow hauled ashore
The operation to remove the wreck of the containership MSC Baltic III from the shores of Newfoundland is making steady progress, with nearly all of the cargo now off the vessel. The ship is reported to be down to its final four containers, having been stripped of most of its boxes and much of its deck machinery.
When the current contractor took over the removal earlier in the year, the majority of the original box load had already been landed, leaving the remainder in flooded holds. Those last containers, many of them badly damaged and holding waterlogged or rotting material, have been carefully lifted onto barges fitted with sides to prevent any leakage. Concerns remain over hydrogen sulphide levels from the submerged boxes, and specialists are on site monitoring conditions while crews take precautions.
Preparations are also advancing for the most demanding phase of the job. Chains and heavy pullers are being readied to split the hull at the point where it cracked and buckled, after which the forward section will be dragged ashore for cleaning and dismantling, with the recovered metal trucked away for recycling. A contaminated-water treatment system is being installed to handle water pumped from the holds and limit pollution during the work.
The bulk of the fuel aboard the ship has already been removed, though residual amounts remain in tanks and pipework and will be captured in a further cleaning stage. The aim is to complete dismantling of the bow section and remove the stern deckhouse this season, with full removal of the stern unlikely to be finished before 2027.
