The wreck removal of a Japanese bulk carrier that grounded off Mauritius has now been completed, according to the technical consultants on the job.
Germany's brand Marine Consultants (bMC) advised protection and indemnity insurer Japan P&I Club on the 203,000-dwt Wakashio (built 2007) wreck removal.
The complex job involved removing the remaining aft section of the ship, which was hard aground after the stern was scuttled offshore.
The wreck removal was carried out by Chinese salvage company Lian Yuangang Dali, along with bMC.
Completion of the job comes roughly 18 months after the ship grounded in July 2020, spilling 1,000 tonnes of fuel, and causing widespread pollution.
It proved to be a difficult wreck removal with the remaining hull stranded in shallow exposed waters.
"The removal of the aft section of the Wakashio from this location was always going to be a tough task, and it certainly proved to be so," said senior bMC consultant Captain Ajay Prasad.
"The sea conditions at the site have been difficult as expected. Added to that, the team have had to manage logistics in this remote location and considering some of the restrictions brought about by the pandemic, it’s added another layer of problems for us all to solve. But, after a huge effort by the whole team, we are there," he added.
The use of the crane barge Hong Bang 6, which dismantled the wreck piece by piece, was instrumental in the removal operation, he explained.
Captain Dennis Brand, managing director of bMC, said: "I am glad that things can go back to normal now."
The Wakashio was owned by Japan's Nagashiki Shipping and was under charter to Mitsui OSK Lines.
