FUGRO MERCATOR

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Grounded survey ship refloated

The 'Fugro Mercator' has been successful refloated at the north coast of island of Elba. On March 28 the company Fugro said that the vessel was safely towed back to the port of Portoferraio and was placed at the shiplift of the Esaom Cesa shipyard to be taken out of the water for repairs. The grounding on March 22 had caused no injuries and no damage to the environment. An investigation was ongoing to determine what caused the vessel to run aground. The 'Fugro Mercator' had been performing survey work for the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) as part of the Italian government’s Marine Ecosystem Restoration (MER) Project under the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which aims to restore marine habitats, update the national system for observing marine and coastal ecosystems, as well as map marine habitats across Italian waters. Furgo is working alongside Italian partners Poliservizi Srl and Prisma. In addition to the surveys, two seabed tsunami early-warning stations in the Sardinian Channel and the South Ionian Sea will be included. Fugro was working with the Italian government to ensure the survey work goes uninterrupted after the grounding incident. In this regard, Fugro has committed to dispatch another survey vessel, the 'Fugro Helmert', which will sail to the Mediterranean to pick up the project and will minimize the overall impact of the incident. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHKPPGcTkV8

Work on to remove fuel and stabilize ship

An operational briefing has been concluded on March 25, organized by the coordination unit established at the premises of the Port Authority of Portoferraio, during which the operations to recover the 'Fugro Mercator' were examined. The company in charge of the operations has been working since the first light of dawn in a safety framework guaranteed by the naval units of the Coast Guard of Portoferraio. Underwater operators, a tug and a floating pontoon were used, thanks to which the emptying of the on-board tanks of fuel was started, an operation that will be concluded on March 27– and high-capacity floating balloons were positioned to stabilize the trim of the ship. The operation, coordinated by the Port Authority of Portoferraio, was attended by representatives of the shipping company, as well as the Pilots Corporation of the Port of Portoferraio and the Mooring and Boatmen Group of the Island of Elba who, with dedicated men and means and in synergy with the Port Authority, will contribute to the safe conduct of operations. A safety ordinance is also being issued to avoid interactions with maritime traffic in the area. Reports with photos: https://www.tenews.it/2025/03/26/nave-fugro-mercator-iniziate-le-operazioni-di-messa-in-sicurezza-1118547/ https://www.greenreport.it/news/inquinamenti-e-disinquinamenti/54813-allelba-e-iniziato-il-disincaglio-della-nave-oceanografica-fugro-mercator

Research vessel grounded on rocks

On March 22, 2025, at around 11:00 p.m., the 'Fugro Mercator', engaged in seabed monitoring operations, ran aground on the reef of the Enfola promontory, near Portoferraio. The vessel, while seeking shelter from the bad weather, got too close to the coast, hitting the shallow water and coming to rest along the rocky cliff in that area. The accident caused water to enter the hull, which was initially contained by the crew, but which subsequently damaged part of the engines, causing a total blackout of the on-board equipment. During the night, under the coordination of the Maritime Directorate of Livorno, the patrol boat 'CP 805' of the Port Authority of Portoferraio intervened, rescuing the crew members and the technical-scientific personnel, 11 people in total of different nationalities, in good health. The transfer operations were made difficult due to the blackout that affected the ship, the proximity to the rocks and the undertow present in the area. The causes of the accident are not yet known: the Coast Guard investigations will determine whether the ship got close to the coast due to the strong wind present yesterday or whether it had technical problems with the propulsion systems. During an operational meeting held the next morning at the Port Authority of Portoferraio, the shipping company was asked, for environmental protection reasons, to remove the ship and the detailed aspects of the activities aimed at its subsequent recovery were examined. Preliminary underwater inspections are currently underway, carried out by a company specialized in the sector, aimed at drawing up an operational plan for the removal of the unit. Monitoring by air and naval means of the Coast Guard has not recorded any marine pollution due to fuel spills. On March 23, a salvage operation was being prepared together with international experts and local officials. Report with photo and video: https://www.agenzianova.com/es/news/Un-barco-de-42-metros-encalla-en-Elba-y-once-tripulantes-son-rescatados/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfwfwNgWRdQ