On 18 January 2007, severe gale force winds and huge waves caused serious damage to the ship Napoli’s hull, including a crack in one side and a flooded engine room. The ship was then 50 miles (80 km) off the coast of Cornwall in the English Channel with approximately 41,700 tonnes of cargo on board.
The condition of the ship made headline news including the salvaging of the ship’s beached cargo that washed up on the south coast of England as far east as the Isle of Wight. The cargo included valuable items such as BMW motorcycles, etc.
In August 2007 the bow section of the ship’s hull was taken to the Harland and Wolff shipyard, Belfast for disposal and recycling. This work involved 150 workers cutting up the high-grade steel. Although a significant quantity of oil was removed from the vessel initially a large quantity of oil was still present in the bottom of the hull posing a continued risk to the environment and H&W personnel involved in the operation.
Practical Waste Solutions Ltd were commissioned by Harland & Wolff to remediate the remaining hazardous oily waste within the ship’s hull employing specialist innovative techniques in both its safe removal and subsequent transport to an appropriate waste management facility.
Carrying out these works safely and effectively was a prime concern, particularly due to the hazardous nature of the waste material and access within the hull to facilitate the operations. The fully compliant works were carried out successfully, within the allocated time period.