Initially, SvitzerWijsmuller was requested by the Spanish Authorities to assist but was awarded a Lloyd's Form contract on 23 February and at that point mobilised further assistance, including the tug ‘Svitzer Leixoes’. The Ostedijk was laden with some 6,000 tons of fertiliser and the problem in the holds was thought to be due to the decomposition of some of the cargo.

This proved to be a major task for the Spanish Authorities and SvitzerWijsmuller’s firefighters. The combustion process in the holds was self sustaining, as decomposition generates oxygen. The only effective counter was to detect and map hot spots within the holds, then firefight by the controlled injection of water into the centre of each hot spot identified by thermal imaging equipment. This is by far the most efficient way of tackling fires of this nature. It also uses relatively small quantities of firefighting water and therefore poses less risk of hold flooding.

Once the smouldering fires had been brought under control, the authorities granted permission for the casualty to leave the vicinity of La Coruna, escorted by Svitzer Leixoes and with SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage personnel and equipment on board the casualty. The intention was to discharge the vessel at Bilbao.

The first two months of 2007 proved busy for SvitzerWijsmuller Salvage. There were eight Lloyd's Forms, together with some 15 services performed under other contractual arrangements. This brisk start to the New Year followed an equally busy final quarter to 2006.

The December caseload included the 2,200dwt general cargo vessel ‘Emslan’ which grounded in the South Esk River just after leaving Montrose on 29 December.

SvitzerWijsmuller was awarded a Lloyd's Form contract. Two SvitzerWijsmuller tugs, ‘Esyagt Connector’ and ‘Remo’, were mobilised for this assignment. The casualty had grounded just outside the main channel and had made several unsuccessful attempts to self-refloat. Emsland was found to be very heavily aground. Refloating required the removal of bunkers together with a proportion of the vessel’s cargo of logs.

Logs are always difficult to discharge under emergency conditions. These problems were compounded by the fact that the casualty was positioned in extremely shallow water. Nevertheless, these difficulties were overcome as SvitzerWijsmuller deployed a shallow draft lightering vessel equipped with special log grabs.

The lightering vessel, ‘Forth Guardsman’, took off some 500 tons of logs. The casualty was then refloated, towed into Montrose and redelivered. When the weather improved, Emsland was then towed to IJmuiden for the discharge of the balance of her cargo.

December also saw SvitzerWijsmuller prevent a potentially serious accident in the Dutch sector of the North Sea. This success was achieved by the SvitzerWijsmullerowned and operated ETV ‘Waker’. The big tug, operating in very difficult weather conditions, connected up to the drifting general cargo vessel ‘Jomi’, thus preventing a possible collision with nearby offshore platforms.