Dutch maritime solutions provider, Koole Contractors has begun a wreckage removal project in the Demerara River.
They were hired by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) to remove three separate wreckages. The $787.6 million contract was signed early last month between Director General at MARAD, Stephen Thomas and Koole Contractors’ representative, Janneke Kuijper.
Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) Harbour Master (ag) Glasford Archer
“These wrecks present have hindered and, I would say, restrict more or less, the manoeuvring of vessels within the harbours or in close proximity to the harbours,” said Harbour Master (ag) at MARAD, Glasford Archer.
“The removal of these wrecks is very important because it will enable safe navigation…”
Archer reportedly told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that there were attempts to remove the wreckages in the past but they were unsuccessful. He expressed optimism that the company will be successful in making the waterway much safer.
Koole Contractors Project Manager Marc Rooijakkers
Koole Project Manager, Marc Rooijakkers told DPI that day one of the project, Saturday, will allow the company to orient itself with the location of the first undersea wreckage, a barge.
The process involves using Koole’s custom built machinery to cut up the barge, then remove it from the sea bit by bit. It’s estimated that the removal of the barge wreckage will take about two weeks.
“It is a barge, about 50 by 12.5 metres, and we’re going to remove this wreck with the chisel method,” Rooijakkers said.
The grapple will be used to lift the wreckage out of the river
“The chisel method is a method that we developed ourselves, with Koole Contractors. It’s basically a 17.5-tonne steel plate which we lift 22 metres high and then we let it fall with a free fall.”
This steel plate weighs 17.5 tonnes. It will be dropped into the river to break the wreckage into small sections
“As soon as the wreck is hit into small sections with the steel plate, we will connect the grapple, and with the grapple, we will lift out the several wreck sections. Depending on the state of the wreck, the grapple can also break the wreck into sections. As soon as we have a firm grip on the wreck, then we can lift the wreck onboard the vessel into small sections, and escort them onboard the barge.”
He said Koole can’t know for sure how long it will take to remove all three wreckages but the company is working with a rough estimate of two to three months.
