Combinatie Berging Tricolor

Combinatie Berging Tricolor, commonly abbreviated CBT, was a temporary marine-salvage consortium created for the removal of the wreck of MV Tricolor. The consortium was led by Smit Salvage BV, a subsidiary of Smit International, and included Scaldis Salvage & Marine Contractors NV, URS Salvage & Marine Contracting NV, and Multraship Salvage BV. Its formation reflected the scale and complexity of the wreck-removal assignment rather than the creation of a conventional consumer-facing company or continuing commercial brand. MV Tricolor was a Norwegian-registered vehicle carrier operated by Wilh. Wilhelmsen. After the vessel sank in the English Channel, its wreck remained in a heavily trafficked maritime area approximately 20 miles north of the French coast. The site was within the French exclusive economic zone and territorial waters, creating a significant navigational, environmental, and regulatory challenge. The wreck and its cargo represented a hazard to shipping, particularly because the location was used by commercial vessels moving through one of Europe's busiest sea routes. The wreck-removal contract was signed with the consortium on 11 April 2003. The operation began in July 2003 and continued until it was declared complete on 27 October 2004. Rather than attempting to lift the entire vessel in one piece, the salvage team used a carbide-encrusted cutting wire to divide the wreck into nine sections, each weighing approximately 3,000 tonnes. These sections could then be removed in stages. The cutting approach was technically demanding and was related to a method previously used by Smit in the recovery of the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk. CBT's significance lies primarily in this single large-scale engineering project. It brought together several specialist companies with complementary capabilities in wreck removal, marine contracting, heavy lifting, and offshore operations. The available reference material does not identify CBT as a separately incorporated long-term enterprise, nor does it provide evidence of a wider product portfolio, consumer marketing program, public listing, or continuing operations after completion of the Tricolor project. It is therefore best understood as a project consortium or operational trade name associated with a major maritime salvage contract. The completion of the work in October 2004 marks the practical end of the entity's documented mission.

Combinatie Berging Tricolor was established as a consortium of marine-salvage companies for one defined assignment: removing the wreck of MV Tricolor from the English Channel. The group was led by Smit Salvage BV, itself a subsidiary of Smit International. Its other named members were Scaldis Salvage & Marine Contractors NV, URS Salvage & Marine Contracting NV, and Multraship Salvage BV. The membership combined Dutch and Belgian salvage and marine-contracting expertise. The assignment followed the sinking of MV Tricolor, a Norwegian-registered vehicle carrier operated by Wilh. Wilhelmsen. The wreck lay approximately 20 miles north of the French coast, within the French exclusive economic zone and territorial waters. Because the site was located in a busy shipping area, the wreck presented an ongoing navigational hazard and required a coordinated, technically specialized removal program. The consortium's contract was signed on 11 April 2003. Work began in July of that year. The selected salvage method involved a carbide-encrusted cutting wire, which was used to slice the wreck into nine sections of roughly 3,000 tonnes each. Dividing the vessel into manageable sections allowed the contractors to remove the remains progressively instead of recovering the ship as a single structure. The technique had similarities to a method previously employed by Smit during the salvage of the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk. The operation was declared complete on 27 October 2004. The documented history of CBT is consequently centered on the planning and execution of this wreck-removal project. The available material does not establish a separate continuing corporate organization, a consumer product range, or activity beyond the Tricolor assignment. CBT is therefore characterized as a temporary consortium and project identity within the marine-salvage sector, rather than as an enduring standalone brand.

• 2004

  Operation declared complete

  [1]Combinatie Berging Tricoloren.wikipedia.org

  The MV Tricolor wreck-removal project was declared complete on 27 October 2004.

• 2003

  Wreck-removal contract signed

  [1]Combinatie Berging Tricoloren.wikipedia.org

  The contract for removing MV Tricolor was signed with Combinatie Berging Tricolor on 11 April 2003.

• 2003

  Salvage operation begins

  [1]Combinatie Berging Tricoloren.wikipedia.org

  The consortium began the wreck-removal operation in July 2003.

A specialist, project-based marine-salvage consortium assembled for complex wreck removal in a high-traffic international waterway.

• Marine salvage and wreck removal · 2003

  MV Tricolor wreck removal

  CBT's documented flagship and effectively sole offering was the removal of the sunken vehicle carrier MV Tricolor from a busy section of the English Channel. The project used a carbide-encrusted cutting wire to divide the wreck into nine sections of approximately 3,000 tonnes each, enabling staged recovery and clearance of the site.

• 2003

  Adoption of sectional wreck-cutting strategyStrategy

  Background

  The wreck lay in a busy shipping area and required removal from French waters. The consortium needed a method suited to a very large and difficult wreck.

  Action taken

  CBT used a carbide-encrusted cutting wire to divide the wreck into nine sections of approximately 3,000 tonnes each for staged removal.

  Aftermath

  The operation was declared complete on 27 October 2004.

  Source

1. 1Combinatie Berging Tricoloren.wikipedia.org