Removed Shipwreck Improves Dutch Shipping Route
As ships sail the busy route to and from the Port of Antwerp, they no longer have to navigate around the shipwrecked Ariana that has been at the bottom of the Scheldt estuary for 60 years. Yesterday, PSI was invited to witness the wreckage removal operations. This project eliminated the ‘oceanic speed bump’ that stood in the way of large ships and tight shipping schedules.
On 8 August 1952, the 4,161 gt Finnish cargo ship Ariana ran aground in the Scheldt estuary of the Netherlands and broke in two. Today Ariana is one of 60 ships that lay at the bottom of the sea in Dutch waters, making navigation above difficult for ships. In the Scheldt estuary alone – where Ariana is located – 14,593 large ships pass by every year on their way to Antwerp. Because of the shifting streams over the years, Ariana eventually became such an inconvenience for passing vessels the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment ordered her removal. In fact, Ariana is the third vessel of the four biggest shipwrecks in the Netherlands that affecting shipping schedules above. In attendance at Ariana’s removal, Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen – of the Dutch Infrastructure and Environment Ministry – explained the significance of the project.
Check out the full report in our next Port & Shipping magazine, which comes out in early August.