Ship stranded in Suez Canal could cause delays

THE shortest shipping route from Europe to Asia remained blocked yesterday as eight tug boats struggled to free one of the world’s largest container ships after it ran aground in the Suez Canal.

GAC, a Dubai-based marine services company, said authorities were still working to free the ship mid-afternoon, and that information it had received earlier claiming the vessel was partially refloated was inaccurate.

The 400m, 224 000-ton Ever Given ran aground on Tuesday morning after losing the ability to steer amid high winds and a dust storm, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said in a statement.

About 30% of global container ship traffic passes through the canal each day, carrying everything from fuel to consumer goods. The main alternative route for ships travelling between Asia and Europe, around the African Cape, takes a week longer to navigate.

The SCA’s chairperson said that despite the blockage, a southbound convoy was on the move and the authority was trying to keep traffic flowing between waiting areas while salvage efforts continued.

“Once we get this boat out, then that’s it, things will go back to normal. God willing, we’ll be done today,” chairperson Osama Rabie said. The authority was considering compensation for delayed ships, he said.

About 12% of world trade by volume passes through the canal, and it is a major source of hard currency for Egypt.

At least 30 ships were blocked to the north of the Ever Given, and three to the south, local sources said. Several dozen ships could also be seen grouped around the northern and southern entrances to the canal.

The SCA said it was trying to rebalance the ship, and local sources said efforts could shift towards digging the ship out if the tug boats were unable to release it.

Dutch marine services company Boskalis said its subsidiary Smit Salvage had been hired to help with the operation and was sending 10 people to Egypt.

In such cases, “you really have to do the calculations to understand how solidly she (is) grounded, and how much power you can exert without damaging the vessel,” Boskalis spokesperson Martijn Schuttevaer said.

BSM, which handles the ship’s crew and technical issues, said all the crew were safe and there had been no reports of injuries or pollution. It said it had notified the authorities.