The Fesco-Uliss: Crew Feedback and Vessel Data

The cargo recovery operation for the 'BBC Ontario,' which lost valuable items on June 30 in the Viveiro estuary, has been put on hold until spring 2018. This decision results from challenging sea conditions and limited daylight hours, making it impossible for divers to sever the 40-meter-long metal structures submerged in depths ranging from 40 to 45 meters. Of the seven cages that were lost, three remain submerged, containing a total of 21 wind turbine blades. After several weeks of inactivity due to adverse working conditions, representatives from Ardentia Marine, hired by the insurers of the 'BBC Ontario,' alongside the Maritime Captaincy of Burela, have decided to halt seabed cleaning activities, which were initially scheduled to resume in May 2018. However, operations have made significant progress at the mouth of the Viveiro estuary, where all lost wind blades have been successfully retrieved, easing concerns among local fishermen in Celeiro and recreational boaters. Working with the Ardentia Marine diving team and the vessel 'Latero Primero,' the blades were recovered and transported to the port of Celeirense. There, a grappled excavator dismantled the blades, and trucks subsequently transported the remnants in containers to A Coruña, where the fiber waste was processed and sent to a designated landfill. To mitigate risks associated with the lost metal cages potentially snagging anchors, the anchorage area has remained closed to merchant vessels for the past five months. Currently, half of the San Román anchorage is once again available for marine traffic, although certain restrictions remain pertaining to the specific locations of the remaining metallic structures in the southeastern part of the anchorage. Ships are now equipped to utilize virtual signaling buoys, allowing them to accurately identify the locations of these hazards via the AIS system. Additionally, the docking area at the Celeiro north dock, where the wind turbine blades were previously secured, has been cleared, and the fenced site used by Arias Casabella for dismantling the metal cages and blades has been deconstructed.

In a significant development regarding maritime safety and environmental management, the process for recovering wind turbine blades and metal cages lost by the BBC Ontario at the mouth of the Viveiro estuary has commenced. After more than three months adrift, the responsibility for the removal now shifts from public administration, primarily handled by the Sociedad Estatal de Salvamento Marítimo, to insurance companies, which will bear the substantial costs involved. As of now, an estimate for the total expenses associated with the recovery and disposal of the 24-meter-long wind turbine components and metal cages remains undisclosed. A private contracting firm has already begun the extraction of these fiberglass and iron structures. Once recovered, the materials have been transported to the port of Celeiro, where they will undergo disassembly. The separated materials will then be placed in containers and sent to authorized waste management facilities for responsible disposal. So far, the operation has successfully retrieved at least thirteen wind turbine blades and a minimum of one metal cage. For further details, you can view the Spanish report with accompanying photos at La Voz de Galicia.

Salvamento Marítimo has successfully retrieved seven wind turbine blades along with debris from one of the storage cages used for transporting these structures aboard the 'BBC Ontario'. Meanwhile, four additional blades have been located in the sea and marked for recovery with buoys. However, the location of the remaining eleven blades remains uncertain. To facilitate the extraction of the lengthy blades from the waters, specialized boats, diving equipment, and the vessel 'SAR Gavia' have been deployed to aid in dragging the blades to port. Among the latest operations undertaken was a sonar search at the entrance of the Estuary of Viveiro, resulting in the identification of four more submerged structures. It's suspected that some of the missing blades might be located within these newly found structures. The Port Captain of Burela has formally requested that Krey Schiffahrts GMGH & Co KG, the shipping company involved, along with the charterer BBC Chartering GmbH, present a comprehensive recovery plan for the submerged cargo near Ria de Viveiro's entrance. This request was issued on July 27, mandating a response within ten days, which leads to the recommencement of recovery operations on August 7. Although the fiber-made blades do not present a significant hazard to vessels—typically moving out of harm’s way during impacts—they can cause complications for fishing nets and anchors. The resumption of recovery efforts next week will determine how many more blades can be salvaged from the Bay of Biscay and how many may remain submerged.