MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Removal of sunken ships from Montevideo port to last until mid-2023

The estimated time of completion was based on favorable weather conditions and a suitable wind and tide.

Private contractors believe they will complete the removal of sunken ships from the port of Montevideo in the first half of 2023 after having taken away so far two entire units and several parts of three others to facilitate navigation in the area, it was reported.

 After winning a tender, the company has been removing abandoned ships, many of them sunken in shallow places but covered by mud and turned upside down. The target is to remove clear the site of a total of 16 vessels.

Two cranes are being used. Both devices are currently at the Port of Montevideo and the parts they remove are then carried to taken with tugboats to the Puntas de Sayago loading area, behind Montevideo Hill.

Once there, the chunks of metal are taken out of the water, cut into smaller pieces, and sorted into bronze, aluminum, cable, copper, and naval steel. Some of these parts are sold on the market and others are exported.

About 25 people are involved directly since January in the works and around as many are connected to the business indirectly.

The estimated time of completion was based on favorable weather conditions and a suitable wind and tide.