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RENA DISASTER

In October 2011 the cargo ship Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe reef 15 miles off the coast of Port of Tauranga, New Zealand. This ships grounding created one of the worst environmental maritime disasters in New Zealand history.

1300 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and 1700 containers have to be removed. To remove the containers ‘PB Seatow’ set up two large crawler cranes on a large barge that could be moved in close around the shallow waters of the wreck. These cranes would then lift the containers off the wreck and on to a waiting ship to be transported back to Tauranga. This operation would take somewhere between 6 months to 2 years and during this time the two cranes would be exposed to the harse salt water conditions and corrosion.

 

Solution
  • Coat the cranes with ‘Prolan Heavy Grade Enduro’ to form a protective lanolin wax barrier on the steelwork and wire ropes. This would ensure the cranes remain in good condition and service for when they are returned to life back on land.
  • Prolan is a natural barrier and therefore creates an environmentally friendly solution and can be re-applied while out at sea if necessary.

The advantage of the ‘Prolan Heavy grade Enduro Liquid’ is:

  • An easy to use biodegradable product that is a safe alternative for the environment where protection of our oceans and marine life has now become a global issue.
  • The lanolin does not evaporate off or break down and lasts for long periods even when exposed to the extreme environments.
Results