Author Topic: German submarine U-864 salvage by Mammoet in Norwegian waters  (Read 1544 times)

Offline Fred Vloo

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German submarine U-864 salvage by Mammoet in Norwegian waters
« on: January 30, 2009, 01:10:41 PM »
At a press conference the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal
Affairs, Helga Pedersen, announced that the Norwegian government will propose
to parliament that the U-864, a German submarine which sank in World War II,
should be salvaged rather than left on the seabed and encased to ensure the
safety of people and environment. If the Norwegian parliament approves this
proposal then Mammoet will use an innovative salvage method to recover the
submarine which contains toxic mercury and explosives.

    Decision

The proposal will be discussed in the Norwegian parliament in the near
future. The salvage operation of the submarine will be undertaken in the
summer of 2010. In the period leading up to that Mammoet will prepare
dedicated, innovative equipment for the operation.

An innovative solution

The Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) selected Mammoet Salvage for
the potential salvage of the German submarine because of the company's
innovative engineered solution. This together with the experience gained on
the remote control salvage of the Runner 4 in the Baltic Sea last year, has
resulted in a safe, fully remotely-controlled operation. With the remote
operated techniques with a surface controlled gripper and ROV support,
Mammoet will raise the submarine and take away the source of pollution
forever without the need for anyone working under water. The new Transport
Safeguard will prevent mercury leakage during the lifting and transport of
the wreck. Mammoet Salvage has found the solution to overcome one of the
specific challenges: lifting the wreck from the unstable seabed. On November
28th last, the NCA and Mammoet Salvage B.V. signed the contract concerning
the possible salvage of the German U-864 submarine.

The U-864 time bomb

On 9 February 1945, the German submarine U-864 was torpedoed
by the British submarine HMS Venturer. The U-864 sank about two nautical
miles west of the island Fedje, just north of Bergen, with the loss of all 73
on board. The submarine's cargo included approximately 67 tons of metallic
mercury which is highly toxic. As the U-864 was on a mission it was also
carrying a full load of weapons. The vessel's wreckage is considered to be a
potential long-term threat to human health and the environment.

Extensive experience

Mammoet Salvage B.V. and affiliated company Mammoet Norge AS are part of
the Mammoet Holding B.V. (heavy transport and lifting specialists) which was
awarded the contract of the salvage of the Kursk Russian nuclear submarine in
2001. Since then Mammoet Salvage has carried out a range of salvage projects
throughout the world. The company emphasizes innovative engineered solutions
to improve safety and reduce costs.

 

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