Apia, Samoa – 21 November 2024 – Two companies have been engaged by the New Zealand Defence Force for salvage work and extract 900 tonnes of diesel fuel from the sunken HMNZS Manawanui off the Safata coast.
The companies are the Pacific 7 Limited and Bay Underwater Services New Zealand Ltd.
They will undertake the extraction, recovery and safe disposal of the fuel and other pollutants currently onboard Manawanui.
In a press conference last Friday, the New Zealand Navy Chief of Defence Marshall Tony Davies and Commodore Andrew Brown said they hoped to engage a company for the work as soon as possible.
Commodore Brown leads the on the ground operations in Samoa.
Both were conscious of the ensuing cyclone season and wanted to remove the fuel as quickly as possible.
New Zealand Navy Defence Chief, Marshall Tony Davies & Commodore Andrew Brown at the press conference last week.
A press statement early this week, Commodore Brown said, “The companies are underway mobilising the equipment and personnel they will need in Samoa to remove the fuel from the ship.”
They expect work on removing the fuel to start early in December but they are also aware of external influences which may impact timing.
“The weather plays an important, but unpredictable, part in this operation. It is important to emphasize that the NZDF’s intent is to get the fuel and other pollutants off the vessel as soon as we can,” Brown said.
He said mitigation of any potential environmental impacts through on-going monitoring and surveillance of the ship and site continue on a daily basis.
At the press conference, Brown said the main fuel tanks on Manawanui remain intact.
