Marine Recycling Corp. (MRC) of Port Colborne Ontario has been awarded a contract to recycle two Oberon class submarines, from the Canadian Dept. National Defense (DND). DND has an option to have MRC recycle a third submarine, the Ojibwa.
Olympus and Okanagan are being transported from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Hamilton, Ontario, via a floating dry-dock. At Hamilton, the submarines will be refloated and placed on other barges, for the transit through the Welland Canal, to MRC’s Port Maitland, Ontario Shipyard, where they will be recycled aboard the barges.
MRC would not risk towing or recycling the boats afloat, MRC’s usual practice, due to the type of vessels and their suspect condition. Submarines do not tow very well to start with, according to Jordan Elliott, MRC’s President and General Manager
MRC commissioned Heddle Marine Service and Mckeil Marine Ltd, both of Hamilton, Ontario to lift and tow the boats from Halifax, to MRC’s recycling yard in Port Maitland.
The $4M project should take until early spring 2012 to complete.
MRC will take the tops of the submarines including the conning towers, to a park the company built in Port Colborne approx 8 years ago, Derek Point Memorial Gardens. One submarine will appear to be submerging and the other surfacing. MRC will also place sections of the ex: HMCS Fraser, a Canadian designed and built Laurentian Class destroyer in the park. MRC recycled the Fraser, in 2010, the Canadian Navy’s 100th birthday.
The submarines’ light or empty weight is 1250 tonnes each.
Approximately 100 tonnes from each submarine and the destroyer, will be used at Derek Point Park, to create the vessel exhibits, in memory of several local business leaders from the marine community and to honour Canada’s Naval Heritage and 100th birthday.
MRC built Derek Point Park where the old Welland Canal meets the newest canal, which opened in 1954. There are already a number of nautical pieces in the park from various Great Lakes freighters. It is a wonderful place to watch the ships come and go and now, with the addition of the warships exhibits, the park will be enjoyed by many more residents and tourists in the area.
MRC expects to complete the work at Derek Point by next summer. The large sections from the submarines and destroyer, will be shipped by barge, from Port Maitland to Port Colborne next spring, once ice clears and navigation opens in the Seaway again. A large crane will be used to unload the large sections ( from the old canal side) and placed for welding/reattaching the sections into the planned exhibits.
Wayne Elliott, MRC’s Director of Business Development, says the company is very pleased at being awarded the recycling contract from DND. “ This is a very challenging project from the start and MRC is grateful to have been chosen as the successful bidder. MRC included its’ plan for Derek Point Park, in its’ submission to DND and PWGSC (Public Works & Government Services Canada). We had already received DND’s approval to include the ex: HMCS Fraser display in the park”.
“ We hope our plan helps make next year’s Port Colborne Canal Days celebration very special indeed and Derek Point becomes a favorite place to many people. These exhibits will almost finish the park completely. We’d always hoped some type of building or covered area could be added, in the hopes folks would also use the park for weddings, picnics and other outdoor activities in future. It is a beautiful place”
MRC was the world’s first ISO 14001 Certified ship recycler in Dec 2000. The Elliott family has recycled more than 100 marine vessels since 1959.
MRC is expecting the lake carrier “ Maumee” into its’ Port Colborne facility by September, joining the Windoc forebody, the KR Elliott crane barge, Canadian Leader bulk carrier and tug Techno St Laurent, each waiting their turn in the graving slips.
MRC has started work to open a facility in Sydney Nova Scotia this year, to specialize in recycling ocean going vessels of all types. MRC employs 30 full time staff currently at its’ two shipyards on Lake Erie.
Other companies co-owned include Raw Materials Company Inc ( a battery recycling company with a patented process to recycle consumer batteries) and International Marine Salvage Inc ( scrap metal processing yards with rail facilities).
Together the group recycles in excess of 100,000 tons of secondary materials, waste and waste by-products annually.
