SMIT Salvage

OPINION

OPINION

As salvors react to commercial vessels becoming innocent victims of conflict in the Gulf region, Peter Barker reflects on how the industry dealt with a similar but far greater Iran/Iraq war of the 1980s.

22nd July 2026

Tankers under attack – salvors have seen it all before

22nd July 2026

VESSELS

VESSELS

Three industry teams have been chosen to develop competing designs for a new generation of low-emission emergency response towing vessels (ERTVs) under a Dutch government programme aimed at protecting the North Sea’s growing offshore wind sector.

2nd July 2026

Three teams enter race to build emergency towing vessels

2nd July 2026

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

The International Salvage Union’s long-standing concerns over container ship cargo fires have again been highlighted by recent incidents handled by Dutch salvage contractor SMIT, underlining the growing complexity of responding to fires…

12th May 2026

FEATURE: Container ship fires push salvors to the limit

12th May 2026

VESSELS

VESSELS

Spanish towage giant Boluda has bought the harbour tug fleet and towage services of Seatrium in Singapore in the latest move in its ongoing global expansion.

30th April 2026

Full steam ahead: Boluda adds more tugs to global fleet

30th April 2026

TUGS & SALVAGE

TUGS & SALVAGE

Reluctant ports, container ship fires and conflict zones are complicating salvage operations, forcing risky offshore cargo transfers, delaying repairs and exposing crews, cargo owners and responders.

9th January 2026

Conflict and fire: why salvage operations are getting harder

9th January 2026

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

Major blazes have been included in the International Salvage Union’s latest round-among sinkings and spills, as new leader Captain Leendert Muller takes the helm at the ISU.

21st October 2025

Salvors battle blazes and spills as new ISU leader takes the helm

21st October 2025

TUGS & SALVAGE

TUGS & SALVAGE

‘There’s a ship parked in my garden’ was one media headline describing the 11,135dwt container vessel NCL Salten running aground near Trondheim in May.

22nd July 2025

Fires, strandings, wreck recoveries – busy times for salvors

22nd July 2025

TUGS & SALVAGE

TUGS & SALVAGE

Salvors have completed the raising of the fated Bayesian superyacht from her 50m-deep seabed grave and transferred her to a specially built steel cradle at the Port of Termini Imerese in Sicily.

25th June 2025

Sunken ‘Bayesian’ superyacht arrives on dry land

25th June 2025

VESSELS

VESSELS

The raising of superyacht ‘Bayesian’ after a year on the bottom of the sea will be live streamed this weekend, beginning now.

19th June 2025

Tomorrows raising of sunk superyacht ‘Bayesian’ to be live streamed

19th June 2025

VESSELS

VESSELS

As the salvage comes to an end of the Solong and Stena Immaculate vessels that were involved in a collision in the North Sea last month, Peter Barker examines the work involved in getting them back…

14th April 2025

Salvage heroes – a tale of two ships

14th April 2025

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

Chief coastguard Paddy O’Callaghan says there have been confirmed sightings of plastic pollution following the collision between cargo ship Solong and tanker Stena Immaculate a week ago.

17th March 2025

North Sea crash salvors confirm plastics leak

17th March 2025

VESSELS

VESSELS

Extreme weather on opposite sides of the world have kept salvage contractors busy, reinforcing once again the industry’s contribution to protecting the marine environment along with preserving property and minimising financial losses.

28th January 2025

Salvors on call for storms and typhoons

28th January 2025

VESSELS

VESSELS

The International Salvage Union (ISU) has reported on the activity of one of Europe’s major salvage companies involving responding to ship fires, groundings and pollutant removal operations.

16th October 2024

Blazes and groundings for Smit Salvage

16th October 2024

VESSELS

VESSELS

The long-established expertise of the Dutch salvage industry has been demonstrated recently with two of the Netherlands leading contractors reporting diverse operations close to and not so close to their home bases.

23rd July 2024

Salvors step in to save groundings, sinkings and fires

23rd July 2024

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY NEWS

 Salvors and those for whom salvors’ services are vital gathered at the annual International Salvage Union Associate Members’ Day in London.

24th April 2024

Value of what’s saved overrides cost of saving it – ISU

24th April 2024

VESSELS

VESSELS

Europe’s marine salvors have reported a busy start to 2024, dealing with ship groundings, fires and engine breakdowns along with minimising pollution from plastic pellets washing ashore in Spain.

9th April 2024

Groundings, fires, breakdowns – busy start to 2024

9th April 2024