Pictured: The tug FAIRMOUNT SUMMIT connected to the bulk carrier GLORY AMSTERDAM, which remains aground off Germany, November 1, 2017. Photo: Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies
BERLIN, Nov 1 (Reuters) – It may take until Friday to free the grounded freighter “Glory Amsterdam” from a sand bar near the North Sea island of Langeoog, German authorities said on Wednesday, but no holes or cracks are evident in the ship’s hull to trigger an oil leak.
Shallow waters off the island had forced officials to revise initial plans to dislodge the 225-metre (742-foot) freighter, which ran aground during a storm that killed at least six people in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.
Environmental and fishery groups have warned of dire environmental consequences to the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site, if the ship begins leaking 1,800 tonnes of heavy oil and 140 tonnes of marine diesel on board.
Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said the FAIRMOUNT SUMMIT connected a 1,500m towline to the bulk carrier on Wednesday morning (Nov. 1). The shipowner hired the salvage company SMIT Salvage for the operation. Photo: CCMEA second tug, UNION MANTA, is currently picking up salvage material in nearby Wilhelmshaven and is expected to arrive at the site Wednesday evening. Once both tugs are connected to the GLORY AMSTERDAM, ballast lightering operations can begin. Photo: CCME
Workers on Wednesday attached the first of two towing ships to the freighter with a 1.5-km towline, Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies said in a statement.
Once a line is attached to the second towing ship, work will begin to pump out more than 18,000 tonnes of water that the Glory Amsterdam took on board during the storm to keep the ship steady in the water, the command said.
Simone Starke, spokeswoman for the command, said authorities had rejected as too risky any effort to transfer the oil and diesel given rough seas and the complications of having to first heat the heavy oil.
Preparations are to continue on Wednesday and Thursday, with the towing operation likely to begin on Friday.
Officials were keeping a close watch on the ship via overflights and said it remained safe for now.
“No holes or cracks have appeared in the ships,” Starke said.
The non-profit environmental group World Wildlife Fund on Monday said the oil on board continued to pose a significant risk to the Wadden Sea, the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt and Andrew Heavens)
By Ellen Francis (Reuters) – Interpol has issued red notices for the captain and owner of the ship that carried the chemicals which devastated Beirut in an explosion in August, killing 200...
By Chen Aizhu (Reuters) – China has issued 5 million tonnes of clean marine fuel export quotas in the first release for 2021, to five companies including a private refiner,...
By Andrea Shalal (Reuters) – The United States is urging European allies and private companies to halt work that could help build the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline and...
December 23, 2020
Total Views: 834
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
Just enter your email and get hot news every morning
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.