Aggreko Powers the New Carissa Cleanup Efforts.

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 27, 1999--

When the New Carissa was grounded on February 4, 1999 near the entrance of Coos Bay, Oregon, immediately emergency cleanup plans were enacted. Aggreko, the world leader in utility rental services, soon became a vital part of these plans.

The Aggreko Portland Depot promptly responded to a call received at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, requesting a 175 kW GreenPower generator. The rental generator supplied power while explosives were setup on the grounded ship. Electricity was obviously needed for the welders and their equipment and lights but the power also kept the cargo hold doors in the open position while the leaking oil was burned off.

In the initial plan, before the New Carissa was broken in two, the Aggreko generator on the ship was going to stay aboard while the vessel was towed to international waters and ultimately sunk. However, when the ship was broken in two, plans changed and a helicopter was secured to remove the various pieces of equipment one being the Aggreko generator.

Although plans had to be altered several times due to inclement weather conditions, efforts to patch the hole in the hull were completed. Massive attempts to collect as much of the 510,000 gallons of the bunker fuel C that was on board the New Carissa were successful with minimal environmental damage being reported. This was greatly due to the prompt response of both Gallagher Marine and Smit Americas and their dedication to the affected communities and wildlife along the Oregon coast.

The fuel spill was able to be contained by quickly burning the exposed fuel and secondly, by pumping the fuel that remained in the affected reservoirs into 21,000-gallon tanks that could be easily contained and moved to land. Although Aggreko is not a supplier of this type of equipment, by contacting their industrial connections, the Portland Depot was able to quickly access five of these large tanks for the customer who was unable to secure any on their own.

With the complicated setup from land to shore and with the many vessels that were involved the need for fuel tanks for various equipment and excessive cable also arose. Again, Aggreko was able to quickly supply the customer with six 560-gallon fuel tanks and 300 feet of cable for immediate use.

"Aggreko was initially called in to supply portable power but because of the professional, timely manner in which we handled our responsibilities, we were soon contracted to handle many other aspects," comments C.T. Miller, Aggreko's Portland Depot Manager. "With the ultimate focus of our customer being the safety of the crew on board as well as that of the communities along the Oregon coast, Aggreko was proud to be able to quickly and efficiently supply the needed equipment which allowed for a quick solution and minimal damage from a situation that could have lead to a major disaster."

For more information visit us on the web at www.aggreko.com