The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has announced that efforts to salvage the Panama-flagged general cargo ship, MV Ultra Galaxy, which ran aground on South Africa’s west coast, will now focus on removing the wreckage. This decision follows the assessment that removing the remaining oil and fuel from the wreck is no longer viable.
The Ultra Galaxy, a 124.56-meter-long vessel built in 2008, encountered severe difficulties on July 9th while traveling from Malaga, Spain, to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The vessel developed a significant list, leading to its grounding. Fortunately, all 18 Filipino crew members were safely rescued after abandoning the ship.
Severe weather conditions have since caused the vessel to break into two pieces, leading to the rupture of oil and fuel tanks and resulting in an environmental spill that contaminated both the sea and a nearby beach. The ship was carrying a full load of fertilizer in bags at the time of the incident, which was swept away as the hatch covers detached, exposing the cargo holds. However, SAMSA has confirmed that water samples taken from the area show no negative environmental impact from the dissolved fertilizer.
Regarding the fuel onboard, SAMSA detailed that the vessel contained 332 tons of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and 180 tons of Marine Gas Oil (MGO) at the time of the grounding. Salvage teams managed to remove only eight tons of MGO before the vessel broke apart. The severe weather conditions that followed led to the spillage of the remaining oil, contaminating the nearby beach.
SAMSA acknowledged that the extent of the damage to the vessel makes it highly unlikely that any intact fuel tanks remain on the wreck, rendering further efforts to pump out the remaining oil infeasible. As a result, the focus has shifted to the monitoring and caretaking of the wreckage.
To facilitate the wreck removal, SAMSA has issued a tender, which has attracted interest from both local and international companies. “The P&I Club issued an invitation to tender to industry last week, with interest from both local and international companies,” SAMSA confirmed.
The cleanup operation has seen progress, with inspections by foot, drone, and helicopter confirming that oil contamination on the beaches has been cleared. However, cleanup crews remain vigilant, particularly near the wreck site, and will stay on-site for the next two storm cycles as a precautionary measure.
SAMSA indicated that, given the changing condition of the wreck, the salvage team would reduce their efforts while continuing to closely monitor the situation. SAMSA emphasized its commitment to collaborating with relevant authorities and stakeholders to manage the ongoing situation and provide regular updates on progress and developments.