Napier Port's ship fire extinguished, cargo revealed
Using a drone, Fire and Emergency New Zealand opened the hold of a fire-damaged ship berthed at Napier Port - revealing no fire, but rather "significantly damaged" wind turbine components destined for the region.
The Kota Bahagia was moved from its No 4 Wharf berth for the first time post-emergency this morning to allow firefighters to open its hold, just under a week after it was sealed and flooded with Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
During the operation, which began at 9.30am an exclusion zone was enforced for 500m around the ship, within the port boundary.
Last Friday, emergency services were called to the "well-involved" fire on board the Singapore-registered cargo ship at 10.45am, and had it under control by 1.30pm. At its peak, 19 appliances and support units from numerous brigades, including appliances responding from out of district attended.
FENZ Hawke's Bay Area Commander Ken Cooper said upon inspection, working alongside Napier Port and the ship's owner, they found the fire had been extinguished.
They used drone technology to carry out their investigations as it was "too hazardous to send anybody into the actual hold itself".
"We carried out the investigations and inspection using our drone that captured imagery and allowed us to determine the temperature of the hold. We also used a drone to give information to the ship's owner around how possibly they could remove the cargo from the vessel."
He said they were satisfied the fire was out. Air samples taken for the crew's safety also show it is at an acceptable level.
However, with temperatures "well in excess" of 600C inside the hold, most items had been affected and there was "significant damage", he said. The ship is believed to have been carrying general cargo, machinery, and components in different holds, destined for a number of countries when the fire broke out.
"It was quite an intense fire so there are a lot of products in there that have been significantly damaged."
The ship was also carrying components for the construction of Mercury’s Turitea Wind Farm in the Tararua Ranges. The wind farm is being built for Mercury by the supplier, Vestas.
Both Mercury and Vestas confirmed this to Hawke's Bay App. A Vestas spokeswoman said: "It is too early to comment on any potential damage to the components".
It is understood the components were destined to go towards the southern part of the wind farm which means there is "no particular disruption as a result" of the fire.
Cooper said from what they can establish, the wind turbine components are among the products damaged.
The main hazard had come from the products' composite material make-up.
FENZ has now "handed the vessel back to the owner to work through how they will carry out the removal of the damaged goods". It is believed this will take place in the new year.
The 161-metre, Singapore-registered vessel berthed last Thursday, was to have departed on Sunday morning but will instead remain at Napier Port until the damaged goods have been removed.
Cooper said FENZ will assist as required in terms of further use of their drone and monitoring of the atmosphere in the hold. "We have offered our assistance going forward if it is required."
FENZ is working with Napier Port Co, Maritime New Zealand, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) and the ship company.
A TAIC spokesman said the investigation team is at the "evidence gathering stage" and will be for many months to come, with a view to producing a draft report "beyond a year from now".
He said they have put two protection orders on the evidence which "protects the evidence and access to it".
