ULTRA GALAXY

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Wreck removal underway

he South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) said that the work to remove the 'Ultra Galaxy', which had run aground on July 9, 2024, near the town of Lutzville, was ongoing and all discharged oil has been contained to the immediate area surrounding the vessel. The Shanghai Salvage Co. has been appointed to carry out the wreck removal operation. So far, more than 3 748 tonnes of material had been successfully removed from the seabed and wreckage and transported via tug and barge for safe disposal in Saldanha Bay. Hazardous waste has been managed in accordance with the Waste Management Plan, with steel being processed in Cape Town, while other hazardous materials are handled at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Vredehoek Hazardous Waste Disposal Site. Pollution response and environmental compliance efforts were being led by SpillTech and include the deployment of a workboat towing absorbent booms around the wreck during the cutting process as well as booming off the engine and aft sections to contain any potential oil spills. Any remaining oil that may have escaped or recharged from the wreckage removal programme was contained to the immediate area around the wreckage and beach and did not drift further south. The Samsa was conducting regular inspections along with the DFFE to ensure compliance with environmental standards. A final joint inspection will be undertaken to confirm that the site has been restored to its natural state before Samsa issues formal cessation approval. The operation is expected to be completed within the next three to four months.

Tender for wreck removal closed

Monitoring of the 'Ultra Galaxy' continued, with salvors to be appointed after assessing tenders from insurers and experts. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) confirmed that the tender period for the removal of the wreck had recently been closed with the vessel owner’s insurers, P&I and salvage experts now engaged with the assessment of the tenders received. Once done, the preferred options will be presented to SAMSA for consideration, Regarding the wreck, the situation has remained the same with no significant change in the ship or its position. In terms of clean up of the oil spill, the response teams remained on the beaches with a huge team to ensure that any, and all debris or oily recharge – even as very minor at this stage – is picked up.

All oil presumed lost

The removal of all remaining oil and fuel onboard the 'Ultra Galaxy' with the assistance of the Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) iwas no longer feasible. The salvage effort now focused on the removal of the wreck. The P&I Club issued issued a temder. and there was keen interest both locally and abroad. This was consistent with the authority’s directive to the vessel owners to have the wreck removed from the South African west coast on the Atlantic Ocean. Following extensive assessments conducted over the past few days, it has been confirmed that the MV Ultra Galaxy has completely broken up due to the severe weather conditions experienced- Over 500 tons of oil and fuel, as well as the fertiliser cargo, has been lost, thanks to the stormy weather and sea conditions. Much of the oil has spread out along the nearby beach where it was being collected. With respect to the type of oil and fuel on board the ship when she went aground, in addition to low amounts of hydraulic and related oils the vessel had 332 tons of VLSFO (low sulphur) and 180 tons of MGO in her tanks as bunker fuel. Before she started breaking up salvors were able to remove eight tonnes of bunkering marine gas oil from the wreck. On Aug 23 the SAMSA said that given the extent of the damage, the likelihood of any intact fuel tanks remaining on the vessel was highly unlikely. Inspections conducted by foot, drone, and helicopter on Aug 21 indicated that the oil on the mining beaches has been cleaned and that there is no visible oil slick or contamination along the beaches, extending as far down as the Olifants River mouth and 5km north of the wreck. The cleanup crews remained on high alert and were on-site in full force, with any resurgence of oil only being sighted on the beaches immediately in front of the vessel. Despite the successful cleanup of all oil that was deposited onto the beach on Aug 19, the cleanup teams will remain on-site for at least the next two storm cycles as a precautionary measure. Report with photos: http://africaports.co.za/#8885