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Dutch company removes 13 of 17 submerged wrecks from Guyana’s waterways – MARAD
Two Years later …
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill (center) with Director General of MARAD, Captain Stephen Thomas (left) and a representative of Koole B.V after the signing of the contract in December 2022. (Photo courtesy of the DPI).
Kaieteur News- Nearly two years after the Ministry of Public Works, through the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), signed a $1.38 billion contract with Dutch company Koole B.V. to remove submerged wrecks and obstructions nationwide, the company has removed 13 of the 17 wrecks so far.
In response to an inquiry from this publication, the Director General of MARAD Captain Stephen Thomas confirmed on Wednesday that Koole B.V. has removed the majority of the wrecks.
He said, “To date thirteen wrecks have been successfully removed.” However, it is unclear why the company is yet to complete the removal and whether the company’s contract which was initially for eight months was extended by the government.
The Dutch company is an international industrial and maritime service and solution provider that specialises in industrial demolition, remediation, wreck removal and maritime construction, the Ministry said in a press release issued in December, 2022.
The wreck removal project aims to cover the entrances to the Demerara, Berbice, Pomeroon, Waini, and Essequibo rivers, as well as off the Coast in general.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill at the time said that the project is extremely important as “The country is advancing and it is, therefore necessary for us to make our waterways safer for ships by removing these 17 wrecks quickly and efficiently.”
Similarly, Captain Thomas said that some of the wrecks to be cleared existed since the mid-1900s. He said that Guyana’s ports were previously viewed as hazardous to seafarers. The MARAD Director General said too that with the removal of the wreckage, the country’s ports would be of international acclaim.
Once completed, the wreck removal information will be submitted to the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) for similar removal from the navigation charts.
“These efforts are expected to garner renewed confidence for mariners and vessels that it is now very safe to navigate our waters. It will also significantly decrease the insurance risks posed to vessels calling on Guyana’s ports,” the December 2022 press release said.
(Dutch company removes 13 of 17 submerged wrecks from Guyana’s waterways – MARAD)
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