Salvage Teams Struggle To Remove Fuel From Ship Grounded For 3 Months

Salvage teams are making gradual progress in removing fuel and cargo from the grounded MSC Baltic III, which has been stranded near Cedar Cove, Newfoundland since losing power on February 15, 2025.

The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed that efforts are still being affected by rough spring weather, as the exposed cove makes it difficult for teams to access the vessel on some days.

Nearly 230 cubic meters of fuel had been offloaded from the vessel by mid-week, according to the MSC-appointed salvage crew.

Out of this, 195 cubic meters were transferred from the barge into MSC Celine, a 2,732 TEU containership operated by the same company.

The Coast Guard clarified that the difference in volume is due to leftover oil that remained in the storage tanks, also known as frac tanks, after the transfer.

MSC Celine had docked in Corner Brook between April 25 and 26 to receive the fuel, which had earlier been stored in tanks on a barge.

The ship has since departed on its usual route and is headed toward Freeport, Bahamas, according to AIS tracking data. The fuel removal process is slow and complex.

The oil must first be heated to allow pumping from the ship’s internal tanks to the frac tanks positioned on the deck. Once those tanks are full, they are too heavy to lift directly.

MSC Boxship — Image Credits: CCG/Facebook

The fuel must be reheated and pumped again into tanks aboard the barge positioned beside the vessel. Currently, four frac tanks on the MSC Baltic III are full and waiting for a clear weather window to pump the contents out.

Once emptied, these four tanks will account for approximately one-fourth of the total fuel onboard being removed.

The ship initially carried about 1.7 million liters of heavy fuel oil and marine gas oil. Soundings taken from the tanks confirmed this quantity when the salvage began.

14 containers were recently removed from the deck using the ship’s onboard cranes. These were transferred to a barge and taken by tug to Corner Brook for offloading.

Earlier, eight containers carrying hazardous polymer beads- considered dangerous cargo, had also been removed. The vessel carried about 470 containers in total, of which 283 were reported to be empty.

Three of the empty boxes were torn open due to severe weather conditions. Despite this, officials stated the main priority remains the safe removal of fuel and pollution prevention.

Surveys along the coastline are ongoing. The Coast Guard recently found two more tar balls on the shoreline, bringing the total to eight since mid-April.

Officials believe these were washed off the vessel and are not the result of a significant leak.

However, they confirmed the hull has multiple cracks, and water has entered the cargo holds and the engine room. The structure of the ship has also deformed, and it appears to have settled firmly onto the seabed.

To assist ongoing operations, contractors hired by MSC have started building an access road from Little Port to the grounded site. This road will help move workers and equipment more efficiently.

Earlier, it was announced that a bridge would also be built to connect with the bow of the ship, reducing reliance on favorable weather for access.

Salvage company T&T Salvage has been brought in by MSC to create and execute the full recovery plan for the ship.

There is still no clear estimate for how long the entire salvage operation will take, as the work continues to depend heavily on weather and site conditions.

Reference: CCG

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