A US salvage company has been appointed to remove the bow section of the wrecked ship Rena from the Astrolabe reef off the Tauranga coast, the Rena's owners have told local media.
Florida-based Resolve Marine Group would undertake the next stage of the salvage, Costamare director Konstantinos Zacharatos announced on behalf of the Rena's owners, Daina Shipping, during a visit to Motiti Island today, the SunLive website reports.
"After the grounding in October last year we have been closely managing the work of our environmental agents (Braemar Howells) and salvors (Svitzer)," he said.
The two companies have been removing oil and containers from the cargo ship, as well as dealing with the spillage from the ship.
Appointing Resolve was the next important step in dealing with the issues arising from this "regrettable incident", he said.
The Rena's bow remains above water on Astrolabe Reef.
Captain John Owen, the senior claims manager with The Swedish Club, the Rena's insurer, says Resolve will be responsible for the reduction of the bow section, using helicopters to lift sections as they were cut.
"This is a very difficult and potentially dangerous location to conduct operations."
The stern section of the Rena sank following heavy weather in January. It was not clear whether Resolve would also be responsible for salvaging the stern.
The Rena ran aground off Tauranga early October last year, spilling oil and debris into the water, in what became New Zealand's worst maritime environmental disaster.
NZN