TASPORTS is preparing to welcome its first fuel tanker into Devonport since cement carrier Goliath damaged the wharf and sank two tugboats at the end of January.
Stolt Sakura, a 121-metre-long oil and chemical tanker, is expected to arrive during the first week of April.
TasPorts CEO Anthony Donald said the port had been working closely with Australian fuel company VIVA Energy to facilitate the visit.
“While there is significant landside work for TasPorts to complete before the visit, it is an investment we are prepared to make for the benefit of our customer and the greater northern Tasmanian community,” he said.
“The visit will occur before salvage barges are expected in Devonport to undertake the salvage works of the York Cove and Campbell Cove wrecks from the Mersey River.
“TasPorts is also actively engaging with other customers about bringing other products into Devonport.”
Mr Donald said TasPorts has been consistently monitoring the conditions of the wrecks with assistance from divers and underwater drones.
He said the assessments indicate the wreck site is stable enough for the tanker to pass on its way to the berth.
Stolt Sakura is smaller than the tankers which normally visit Devonport.
A smaller vessel, the 80-metre Bass Island Line John Duigan, has successfully berthed at Berth 5 West near the wreck site on several occasions, including a trial voyage.
The successful trial voyage prompted TasPorts to consider movement requests for vessels of similar nature.
“These movements have enabled us to assess any potential impacts on the wreck site under different environmental conditions.”
Although the wreck site is stable, a recent incident update from TasPorts suggests there is still an ongoing risk of environmental incident with around 10,000 litres of diesel and oil remaining in the sunken vessels.
The update said the continual release of oil pollution from within the wrecks is being managed with ongoing daily skimming operations and contained within an oil spill containment boom.
