Salvage of the MSC Baltic III Wreck Prepares to Remove Final Stern Sections
The salvage efforts in Newfoundland, Canada, to clear the wreck of the containership MSC Baltic III continue to report strong progress. In the latest update, the Canadian Coast Guard reports that Resolve Marine is preparing for pulling operations for the final two portions of the stern that remain in the water.
Clearance of the wreck got underway during the summer of 2026, nearly a year and a half after the 33,767-dwt containership blacked out and was driven ashore in Ceder Cove, Newfoundland, near Corner Brook, in February 2025. The 207-meter (679-foot) vessel, which had a capacity for 2,478 TEU, had about 400 containers aboard. Canadian forces airlifted the crew from the ship without injury.
The upper works of the containership were stripped away, including the accommodation block and the cargo hatches and gear. Upper portions of the hull were also removed before the operation began pulling sections of the vessel forward onto the beach to be cut up and trucked away for recycling.
Portion of the stern of the MSC Baltic III pulled shore for recycling (Canadian Coast Guard)
The latest update shows that the bow section of the MSC Baltic III wreck is fully ashore and removed from the beach. The Canadian Coast Guard also reports that one section of the vessel’s stern has been pulled ashore, deconstructed, and removed from the shoreline.
Critically, the salvage operation reached six heavy fuel oil tanks, which the Coast Guard said were a priority to end the pollution risks. These tankers were cleaned and have been recycled. The Coast Guard says that while intermittent oil sheening continues to be observed in Cedar Cove, it has significantly decreased since the bow section was removed from the water.
The Canadian Coast Guard and Environment and Climate Change Canada continue to conduct shoreline, on-water, and aerial pollution surveillance and monitoring, weather permitting.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
To date, Resolve has removed 9,282 tonnes from the MSC Baltic III wreck. It equated to approximately 84 percent of the vessel's total tonnage.
After all the vessel has been salvaged, there will be a final clean-up of the sea floor and coastline in Ceder Cove. Resolve has also committed to coastline restoration as the final stage of the salvage operation.
