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It is with great pleasure that we announce the launch of WWW.TRICOLORSALVAGE.COM, the website providing information on the development, background and progress of the remarkable wreck removal operation of the TRICOLOR, one of the biggest wrecks ever to be removed.

The website has been produced by the ‘Combinatie Berging TRICOLOR’ (CBT), A consortium consisting of SMIT Salvage B.V., Scaldis Salvage & Marine Contractors N.V., URS Salvage & Maritime Contracting N.V. and Multraship Salvage B.V.

Apart from being a reliable source of information for the press, the purpose of the website is to inform interested parties about the challenging wreck removal operation in the English Channel.

The CBT will use a specially designed wire cutting system to divide the wreck into nine sections. Thereafter, each section will be lifted out of the water and placed onto pontoon barges for transport to Zeebrugge, Belgium. At Zeebrugge the vehicles will be separated from the wreck and disposed of in a specially designed area in accordance with EU regulations.

All operations will be conducted with due care for the environment and safety of passing vessels in this important shipping lane. The CBT will station an anti-pollution vessel in the vicinity of the TRICOLOR throughout the operation.

The TRICOLOR is a 1987 built Norwegian flagged vehicle carrier, which, in the early hours of 14 December 2002, was struck by KARIBA, a 1982 built Bahamian flagged container ship, in the French Exclusive Economic Zone some 20 miles north of the French coast in the English Channel. The TRICOLOR sank as a result of the impact of the collision and was eventually declared a total loss. In December 2002, French authorities ordered the wreck to be removed, as it was perceived to represent a danger to shipping and the environment.

For more details please contact:

Wilh. Wilhelmsen
Hans Chr. Bangsmoen
Senior Vice President
Tel: + 47 67 58 43 30
Fax: + 47 67 58 44 96
Mail: hans.c.bangsmoen@ww-group.com

Combinatie Berging Tricolor
Lars Walder
Public Relations Manager CBT
Tel: +31 (0) 10 454 92 74
Mobile: +31 (0) 6 51 331 272
Mail: l.walder@smit.com