After more than eight months, the "renewed" "Ever Given" vessel crossed the Suez Canal again. Under the escort of two tugboats, the almost full "Long Given" vessel finally passed through without danger.
Ship tracking data showed that the "Long Gift" vessel arrived in Suez after midnight on December 11, local time, and was berthed and waited there. On December 12, the ship entered the canal via the southern entrance and sailed in the same direction as when it ran aground in March. This was the 23rd time the ship passed through the Suez Canal.
The media representative of the Suez Canal Authority, Marwa Maher, stated that the cargo carried by the "Long Ci" far exceeded the cargo carried when it ran aground in March. According to ship tracking data, the "Longci" is currently close to full load, with a draft of 15.9 meters, approaching the upper limit of 16 meters.
To this end, the Suez Canal Authority announced a "state of emergency" on December 12 to ensure that the "Long Grant" vessel can pass smoothly. The Administration sent two tugboats, one in the front and the other in the back, to escort the "Long Gift" ship; at the same time, two more pilots were selected to provide guidance during the voyage.
The entire voyage of the "Longsend" on the Suez Canal took about 10 hours. At present, the ship has entered the eastern Mediterranean and is heading for the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. It is expected to arrive on December 20, local time. After the passage of the "Long Grant", the Suez Canal Authority immediately lifted the state of emergency.
It is understood that the "Longci" is currently one of the largest container ships in the world, with a capacity of 20388TEU. The ship is owned by the Japanese shipowner Masaei Steamship and leased to Evergreen Shipping for operation.
On March 23 this year, when the "Long Ci" passed through the Suez Canal, its hull ran aground in strong winds. At that time, about 18,000 containers were carried on board. In the following six days, the "Changci" vessel severely blocked the river course, and it was not until March 29 that it finally got out of trouble, and the canal resumed its flow. According to statistics, a total of about 450 ships were blocked in the Suez Canal as a result of the grounding accident, making it one of the most serious traffic jams in maritime history.
For more than three months after getting out of trouble, the "Long Gift" ship was seized by the Egyptian side and has been parked there. At the beginning of July, following a compensation agreement reached between Dongfang Shipbuilding and the Suez Canal Authority, the ship was finally able to set sail away from the Suez Canal and went to European ports to unload about 18,300 containers on board. After unloading, the ship passed through the Suez Canal again on August 20 and arrived in China in October to go to Qingdao Beichuan Heavy Industry for repairs. On November 13, the "Changci" vessel completed all repairs in 40 days, loaded cargo in Qingdao, and returned to the Asia-Europe route.
Although the Suez Canal Administration and the "Longsend" Vessel East have never disclosed the specific amount of compensation for the stranding accident, according to local media reports in the Middle East, insiders involved in the negotiations confirmed that Vessel East will pay a total of 5.4 to the Suez Canal Authority. 100 million U.S. dollars in compensation, of which the first 240 million U.S. dollars will be paid when the ship is released, and the rest will be paid next year; the administration will also receive a new tugboat to compensate for one lost in the 6-day rescue operation.
The insider said that the Egyptian side will use compensation to repair the structural damage to the canal, as well as to repair the pollution caused by the "long gift" vessel emptying ballast water in order to escape, which has caused the death of a large number of marine life in the canal. The settlement agreement also includes the loss of revenue suffered by the Administration due to the stranding. He said that the settlement agreement was "a victory" for Egypt and "Egypt's rights have been upheld."
Earlier, the Suez Canal Authority filed a claim of US$916 million in April this year. In May, the amount of the claim was reduced to US$550 million. At that time, the director of the Authority, Osama Rabie, said that as long as the shipowner pays a deposit of US$200 million and submits it. A guarantee letter from an Egyptian bank guarantees that the remaining compensation will be paid in the future, which can ensure that the "Long Grant" ship will start again.
Source:International Shipping Network