On Tuesday night, the towing operation of the grounded car carrier ‘Makassar Highway’ started for Oskarshamn, according to the Swedish Coast Guard. The towing takes place in a speed of two knots and is followed by Coast Guard units in case any oil is released. At the current rate, the ship is expected to arrive at Oskarshamn overnight towards Thursday.
Prior to the tow, the double risk of oil release and further hull damage was identified, but none of this has happened so far. It is estimated that up to 400,000 liters of oil were aboard the ship.
We have been able to see some skimmer and streaks of volatile oil, but nothing has been possible to fight with our pickup systems. The Coast Guard Airplane arrived shortly after half past eight on Wednesday morning and can not see any oil in the wagon’s water.
On Monday 23 July, the Panama-flagged 139-meter ship was en route from Germany’s port of Cuxhaven to the Swedish port of Sodertalje, south of Stockholm, loaded with approximately 1,325 vehicles, when it ran aground in an archipelago north of Vastervik on the Baltic Sea.
Earlier in the week, underwater examination by divers discovered serious damage and cracks in the ship’s hull, which made immediate the need for the company to tow the vessel, as deteriorating upcoming weather conditions were expected to impede the operation and endanger the vessel’s stability.
As such, there has been a dialogue between the shipping company, the Transport Agency, the Coast Guard, the municipal emergency services and the county administrative boards about when and how a possible towing could begin.
Towing began at 20:51 on Tuesday night and all respective authorities are kept informed and are now preparing Makassar Highway arrival.
We plan to strengthen resources with environmental protection equipment in Oskarshamn on Wednesday, together with the rescue service. A joint staff has also been established there.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard continues clean-up operations after oil was leaked during fuel oil removal operations over the weekend.
People are urged to avoid contact with the oil, in the water and on land. The area between mainland and Huvudskär, just south of the Olsklabb lighthouse is closed off by the Swedish Coast Guard. It is not possible to cross by boat. Vessels have to go offshore. To close off the area the coast guard has used booms.
The vessel Makassar Highway is not leaking any more oil as of now.
Timeline of the incident
- Monday, 23 July
At 07:28, the Coast Guard receives a call that the Makassar Highway cargo ship has been aground off Loftahammar in Tjust archipelago. An environmental rescue operation is launched immediately and the Coast Guard goes up to staff mode. The surveillance vessel KBV 305 is the first device in place and arrives at 08:48.
- Tuesday, 24 July
The Coast Guard has arrived at the harbor with an underwater vehicle to investigate the hull of the ship. Investigation shows severe damage and that two oil tanks have taken in water. Makassar Highway is considered to be hard due to weather conditions favorable to weak winds. An inspector from the Transport Agency and a representative from the shipping company’s insurance company comes onboard. It is the owner’s responsibility to carry the ship. Before this can happen, a salvage plan must be approved by the Transport Agency Inspector.
- Wednesday, 25 July
Coast Guard demands the shipping company that the tank’s lower tanks must be emptied of oil before towing. This is done in dialogue with the Transport Agency. The shipping company’s insurance company has engaged three salvage companies to present each salvage plan that day. The coast guard is prepared to cope with the KBV 003. Since the initial stability calculations show that the drainage of the tank is likely to adversely affect the stability, in combination with the fact that all of the persons involved are deemed to be hard due to the rescue leader, it is expected to initiate emergency relief so as not to compromise the situation.
- Thursday, 26 July
The shipping company’s insurance company has chosen a salvage plan to be approved by the Transport Inspector. A tanker has been ordered and arrives that evening to empty the tank’s thoughts. According to the salvage company, they should be emptied within two to three days.
- Friday, 27 July
During Friday night, the winds are increasing. The coast guard is working to adjust and maintain the absorbent lanes that have been laid around the tanker for prevention. Despite the current assessment of stakeholders, Makassar Highway turns about 20 degrees at midnight. In connection with the ship’s movement an unknown amount of fuel oil leaks out, but the Coast Guard’s lanes prevent the oil from spreading into the sea. Following this event, the importance of the ship being rapidly emptied of oil is considered to be even greater.
- Saturday, 28 July
During the day, the Coast Guard personnel at the harbor area conducts a demanding effort to fight the oil that is now inside the sheltered counties. Lack of equipment at the chartered vessels means that the emptying of the vessel takes longer than expected. During the night to Sunday, the drainage of oil starts from one of the tanks.
- Sunday 29 July
When the oil is transferred from Makassar Highway to the tankboat, the ship lights off and shuts off, although both the Swedish Transport Agency and the salvage company judged that the ship was in serious danger.