Posted on January 10, 2024
A salvage company is carrying out sand dredging to save a huge container ship stuck on a swand coast near the Central Province of Quang Ngai
Regarding the 15,000-ton New Energy cargo ship stuck on the sand coast bordering the waters of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai, the Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority liaised with the Border Guard Command of Quang Ngai, authorities of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces and related agencies on a plan to rescue the cargo ship.
Representatives of the cargo ship owner New Energy and the salvage company mobilized hundreds of mechanical equipment to rescue the ship. This is the third time the salvage work has been carried out.
Accordingly, responsible agencies arrived at the solution to dig and suck sand to create a water channel to save the ship. The team of workers will dig and shovel sand on both sides of the ship’s hull and large sand vacuums will work continuously to suck sand and dig trenches to create a width and depth large enough to tow the ship back out to sea.
Director of Bien Vang Maritime Trading and Services Joint Stock Company Le Van Toan said that the company has planned to suck up to about 6,000 cubic meters of sand, or even more to open a 30m wide water channel with a length of 300m and deep enough according to the ship’s water displacement so that the ship can float.
According to Mr. Toan, it will take about four days to complete the sand dredging to create a water channel. After completing this dredging, the next step is that towing combined with a high-capacity cable winch pulls the cargo ship out of the sand coast.
Worryingly, the ship is carrying 27 tons of FO oil (fuel oil) and the risk of oil spill is highly likely to occur. Therefore, Director of Quang Ngai Maritime Port Authority Le Van Luong said that the port authority has asked the ship owner and rescue companies to have a plan for this incident.
Currently, the rescue unit has contacted the Central Oil Spill Response Center to send forces and equipment for readiness to handle the possible incident, Mr. Luong said.
Previously, the nearly 15,000-ton cargo ship New Energy with a length of 160m owned by Vinashin Ocean Transport One Member Company transported nearly 14,000 tons of iron ore on November 14, 2023 from the Cua Lo port in the Central Province of Nghe An to Dung Quat port. On its way, it was battered by huge waves and stuck in the sand coast.
