The grounded Safmarine Agulhas is an unsalvageable wreck and the rest of its cargo cannot be removed, the National Port Authority (NPA) said on Saturday.
”It’s now referred to as a wreck … It can’t be re-floated,” said NPA East London spokesperson Terry Taylor.
He said it was too dangerous for salvors to remove the remaining 90 containers from the flooded holds.
The 19-year-old vessel will officially be declared a wreck, then a tender will be issued in the next few days for cutting it up and removing it.
The NPA requires that the vessel be completely removed.
The 16 800-ton Liberian-flagged container ship ran aground off the Port of East London on June 26 when its engines failed shortly after leaving harbour. It is lying on sand against the harbour’s western breakwater.
It was carrying 750 tons of heavy fuel and diesel and 37 tons of lube oils. It was chartered by Safmarine and carried a cargo of nearly 600 containers.
About 90 containers are left in the flooded holds.
”They said they’ll take all the oil off, there may be a ton or two left — they’re just skimming the holds,” said Taylor.
He said it was too dangerous for divers to go into the holds to help remove the last containers.
Taylor said that despite the loss of the vessel, the operation was successful in the retrieval of about 85% of the cargo — a ”huge salvage” — and almost all the fuel.
There has also not been any pollution from the ship.
”They can build another ship [but] it takes a long time to rebuild the environment.” — Sapa