Successful Fuel Removal Progress on Grounded Containership MSC Baltic III

Salvage crews have achieved a significant milestone in the operation to remove heavy fuel from the containership MSC Baltic III, which ran aground near Wild Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador on February 15. According to the Canadian Coast Guard’s latest update, approximately 85% of the heavy fuel has been successfully extracted from the vessel.

Despite facing challenges such as adverse sea conditions and the remote location of the grounded ship, efforts to remove fuel and containers from the MSC Baltic III are making progress. The vessel lost power about 12 nautical miles from Bay of Islands, leading to its grounding due to poor weather conditions.

Currently, the focus remains on extracting oil from the engine room and smaller tanks, with the vessel originally carrying about 1.7 million liters (50,000 gallons) of heavy fuel and marine gas oil. Additionally, 208 out of 472 containers have been successfully removed from the ship, with ongoing operations facilitated by the presence of the EEMS Dublin in the area.

Environmental monitoring efforts have also been diligent, with shoreline surveys identifying minor oil observations such as tar stains and small tar balls in Cedar Cove and nearby shorelines. To ensure the safety of response personnel and the public, an emergency and drone restriction zone has been established one nautical mile around the cargo ship.

The MSC Baltic III was en route from Montreal to Corner Brook, Newfoundland when the grounding incident occurred. All 20 crew members were safely evacuated by Cormorant helicopter immediately after the incident. The vessel’s cargo primarily consisted of food, lumber, and paper supplies, with over half of the containers reported as empty.

As response efforts continue, the challenges posed by adverse sea conditions and the vessel’s remote location persist. However, the progress made in fuel and container removal operations signifies a step forward in the salvage operation of the MSC Baltic III.