Rostock is the center for ammunition recovery - environmental project starts now!

Rostock is the center for ammunition recovery - environmental project starts now!

Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Deutschland - The beaches of the North and Baltic Sea could soon become safer. In Rostock, a new Federal Competence Center for Mounting Munition is being built, which deals with a serious challenge: Around 1.6 million tons of old World War II ammunition are on the seabed and represent an enormous risk of the environment and people. This decision has been made, based on the scientific expertise of the Ocean Technology Campus and the technical know-how of regional shipyards and suppliers href = "https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/mecklenburg-vorpommern/rostock-zuschlag-fuer-Bundeszentrum- ammunition, ammunitionsbergung-100.html"> NDR reported.

The new center is supported by the University of Rostock and the Leibniz Institute, which underlines the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation. The Federal Environment Ministry sees a valuable opportunity to establish successful ammunition recovery in cooperation with other coastal countries, especially Schleswig-Holstein. Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig emphasizes that the settlement of the competence center will strengthen the Rostock location and create many jobs.

a critical environmental problem

Umwelt experts warn of the dangers of the rotting ammunition, which poisoned the seas by leaking TNT explosives. Such chemical traces were detected in a Kiel study, which, however, usually do not represent a health risk. This does not change the fact that the ammunitional loads in the sea are considered extremely dangerous, such as BMU

In order to meet the challenges, an information meeting took place in Kiel on June 24, 2024. Around 100 representatives from different areas, including politics, science and industry, came together to discuss the planned pilot recoors of old ammunition in the Baltic Sea. The Ministry of Energy Transition, Climate Protection, Environment and Nature of Schleswig-Holstein took over the patronage. Minister Tobias Goldschmidt explained that it had taken ten years to take the prerequisites for this crucial step.

pilot recovers and future prospects

The first pilot recovers in the Bay of Lübeck have already been announced for the summer. These activities are part of an immediate program that is equipped with 100 million euros in order to promote the fast and efficient recovery of various types of ammunition from the seas. The Geomar Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel will scientifically accompany and monitor the environmental impact, which illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration again, as Fisch und Fang

The knowledge gained from the piloting should serve to develop an environmentally friendly and safe process chain for the rescue and disposal of ammunitional loads. The initiative not only signals a strong commitment to marine protection, but also the beginning of a new era for the coastal protection measures in northern Germany.