Coastal Recovery and Marine Salvage, West Sussex

Client background

In December 2025, A R Banks Ltd was appointed as Recovery and Salvage Contractor for the beachside recovery of multiple 40-foot shipping containers lost during the Baltic Klipper incident. The appointment was made by Marine Salvage Consultants as part of a wider multi-agency response involving local authorities and key statutory stakeholders.

The incident resulted in container shells and fragmented sections being dispersed along a substantial stretch of the West Sussex coastline, from Selsey to Bognor Regis.

The requirement

This was a fast-moving and highly dynamic recovery operation undertaken in a live coastal environment. The recovery works needed to be delivered swiftly, while maintaining strict controls around safety, environmental protection, public interface and reinstatement.

The operation required the coordinated mobilisation and demobilisation of multiple work fronts, with plant, supervision, lifting teams and groundworks crews continually redeployed between locations as recovery priorities shifted. Each site effectively functioned as a short-duration project in its own right, requiring rapid setup, execution and reinstatement before assets were moved on to the next location.

Scope of Works

Recovery of container shells and fragmented container sections from the shoreline
Controlled lifting and relocation of containers from beach environments to transfer points
Remobilisation of recovered containers onto road-going transport under escort Transportation to a central works compound
Off-loading and positioning of recovered containers for controlled deconstruction at a later date
Lifting operations utilising a 110t Mobile Crane
Full reinstatement of all affected coastal and public areas

The challenge

The works were subject to tidal windows, weather exposure, restricted access points, public interface considerations and environmentally sensitive shoreline conditions.

Given these factors, environmental protection formed a key element of the works. Later recovery phases were delivered using low-ground-pressure plant fitted with bio-oils, reducing the risk of contamination and ground disturbance.

The solution

Upon authorisation to commence, A R Banks fully mobilised recovery assets, personnel, supervision and site infrastructure within hours. We developed all methodologies, risk assessments and lifting plans swiftly and ensured they were formally reviewed and approved by all stakeholders prior to works commencing.

The operation was delivered through a phased, multi-site approach, allowing recovery works to progress simultaneously across the coastline while maintaining programme flexibility.

Two 25-tonne tracked excavators were deployed as primary recovery machines, undertaking shoreline lifting operations and relocating containers to suitable handover locations. From there, containers were transferred onto specialist road transport and escorted to a designated central compound.

At the compound, a 100-tonne mobile crane was utilised to off-load containers from transport and position them safely for future deconstruction activities.

Enabling Works & Reinstatement

Ahead of all lifting and recovery operations, dedicated groundworks teams carried out enabling works to facilitate safe and efficient recovery. These works included:

Temporary removal and later reinstatement of street furniture
Formation of landing and working areas for heavy tracked plant
Vegetation clearance where required
Installation of timber matting to protect existing surfacing and reduce ground pressures

Once recovery operations at each location were completed, our teams undertook full reinstatement works before demobilising and redeploying to the next site. This approach minimised disruption to the public and ensured that all areas were returned to their original condition, or better.

Plant & Equipment Deployed

The recovery operation utilised a varied and flexible fleet, including:

25t tracked excavators for primary lifting and container recovery
9t and 5t tracked excavators for enabling and reinstatement works
Tracked dumpers for removal of smaller debris and approximately 50 tonnes of spoiled cargo
HIAB and hook-loader vehicles for plant, equipment and multi-site logistics
Semi-lowloaders for transportation of recovered containers and heavy plant
100t mobile crane for compound off-loading operations

All lifting activities were planned and executed in full accordance with BS 7121.

The outcome

The works were delivered with no reportable incidents, reflecting robust planning, experienced supervision and close coordination throughout the operation.

The key outcomes comprised:

Rapid mobilisation and delivery across multiple coastal locations
Coordinated multi-agency working under live operational conditions
Safe recovery of containers from environmentally sensitive shoreline areas
Full reinstatement of all affected public and coastal infrastructure
Demonstrated capability in fast-response marine salvage support and coastal recovery

In January, our teams were subsequently assigned to support further container recovery operations following the Lombok Strait incident, continuing our involvement in time-critical marine salvage and coastal recovery works.

If you’re in need of recovery and salvage solutions, please get in touch with our friendly and experienced team.