Just over a week after the accident of the freighter „MSC Zoe“ in the North Sea begins the recovery of the numerous containers scattered on the seabed. Experts expect great difficulty in salvaging. Some of the containers have sunk into the ground. The „MSC Zoe“ is almost 400 meters long and one of the largest container ships in the world.
A first Dutch salvage ship is scheduled to arrive on Friday at the mouth of the Ems near the German border, initially harboring two containers. A spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management said.
According to the latest information, the container ship lost 291 containers on the way to Bremerhaven in Germany during the night of 2 January, including two with dangerous substances. One is dibenzoyl peroxide, which is used to cure resins and as a bleaching agent. The second missing dangerous goods container was lithium-ion batteries.
Containers of the MSC Zoe are salvaged
„Like on a highway“
Around 20 containers were washed up on beaches. Most tanks in the sea were located. A total of around 270 containers have to be lifted from the bottom of the North Sea. Most containers are on the very busy route for cargo ships. „This is like on a highway,“ said the Dutch Ministry spokesman Edwin de Feijter on request of dpa. Therefore, the recovery is not easy.
The Swiss shipping company MSC had pledged to pay the costs. For the recovery, a total of three ships would be used, said De Feijter. The experts also want to work with underwater cameras.
Beaches dotted with flotsam
After the accident, the beaches were littered with plastic, polystyrene, shoes, toys and refrigerators. Environmentalists and mayors of the islands fear long-term damage from plastic waste. According to investigations of the water police, the „MSC Zoe“ lost in stormy sea probably at two positions container.
One point is according to the information about 22 kilometers north of the Dutch island Ameland, the second approximately 22 kilometers northwest of the German island Borkum. The Havariekommando had commissioned the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency to use the position data to create a drift model in order to track the probable route of the moving containers and cargo.
