The agreement has been reached with with a consortium named "Combinatie Berging TRICOLOR" headed by SMIT Salvage B.V. and with Scaldis, URS and Multraship as partners.
"We are pleased that we have managed to reach agreement in principle with this consortium about what will be one of the largest wreck removal operations concerning a commercial vessel ever", says London-based lawyer Mr Morten Lund Mathisen of the Norwegian law firm Wikborg, Rein & Co, who has represented the Tricolor interests in the negotiations. "Now we will start working on the details. We hope to be able to sign the full contract some time next week, which will mean that the matter is progressing in line with earlier projections", Mr Lund Mathisen states.
Mr Hans Chr. Bangsmoen, the press spokesperson of Wilh. Wilhelmsen, states: "We are very satisfied that we are about to reach the second milestone in the case of removing Tricolor. The first milestone was reached upon removal of the bunker oil, thereby reducing the risk of harm to the environment. We now look forward to get the wreck removal contract signed and the operation started as soon as possible. The third and final milestone will be the completion of the wreck removal operation, including the prudent disposal of the wreck sections and cargo ashore."
The following information concerning the method and time of removal has been provided by the consortium: The wreck will be cut into seven sections of approximately 3,000 tons each by means of specially designed cutting wire system that was used in the lifting of the Russian submarine Kursk in the Barents Sea. Each wreck section, including the cargo inside, will be lifted by means of two sheerleg crane barges that have two times 3,000 tons lifting capacity. Thereafter each section will be positioned onto a transport barge and carried to a specially designed shore facility for further disposal. It is anticipated that the wreck removal operation may be completed this autumn - weather permitting.
Tricolor is a 1987 built Norwegian flagged vehicle carrier, which, in the early morning hours of 14 December 2002, was struck by KARIBA, a 1982 built Bahamian flagged container ship, in the French Exclusive Economic Zone some 20 miles north of the French coast in the English Channel. Tricolor sank as a result of the impact of the striking and was eventually declared a total loss. In December 2002, French authorities ordered the wreck to be removed, as it was perceived to represent a danger to shipping and the environment.
For further information:
Gard Services
Sven Henrik Svensen
Senior Vice President
Mobile phone: +47 97 55 91 15
Home phone: +47 37 02 20 72
e-mail: sven.henrik.svensen@gard.no
SMIT Salvage
Lars Walder
Public Relations Manager
Mobile phone: +31 (0) 10 454 9274
Office phone: +31 (0) 6 53 43 2765
E-mail: l.walder@smit.com
Wilh. Wilhelmsen
Hans Chr. Bangsmoen
Senior Vice President
Office phone: +47 67 58 43 30
E-mail: hans.c.bangsmoen@ww-group.com