Successful salvage of shipwreck in Norway

Project report

Seven cuts with 350 meters of diamond wire and no time to lose

During a severe autumn storm in September 2018, the ship M/S Osfjord ran aground off the coast of Trøndelag in Norway. Several attempts were made to salvage the shipwreck, but none of the methods used were successful. In a final attempt in 2019, the ship was to be cut into smaller pieces using a wire saw so that the parts of the wreck could be lifted onto a barge one by one and brought ashore.

Our contribution

"Only 26 days and seven cuts to get the shipwreck safely onto the barge."

The Norwegian company Kristiansand Bygg was awarded the contract. From the outset, Kristiansand Bygg consulted with Tyrolit based on previous experience in this field. However, due to the very bad weather forecast, the job had to be completed as quickly as possible.

The Tyrolit DWH-S diamond saw wire was selected for this project together with a wire saw from the Italian machine manufacturer Benetti.

Tyrolit also installed two FZ-4S hydraulic wall saws on VAS rails that could move upwards to ensure a sufficiently aggressive cutting angle at all times. In total, it took Kristiansand Bygg just 26 days and seven cuts to get the shipwreck safely onto the barge. The DWH-S diamond saw wire did a great job, and at 350 meters, 100 meters less wire was needed than originally anticipated.

350 meters

of diamond saw wire were used.

26 days

was the duration of the project.

7 cuts

were needed to dismantle the wreck.

In addition to the time challenge, care had to be taken throughout the project to avoid polluting the sea. The Norwegian Coast Guard therefore continuously monitored the seabed with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to ensure that the project left no contaminated residue behind.

Fotogalarie

Salvage of a shipwreck