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Image source,EPA
The giant freighter “Long Give” ran aground in the Suez Canal on March 23, and the crossing of the Ka River blocked traffic. Scene and channel are being erased. Experts warn that it may take days or even weeks for the canal to return to normal traffic.
The blockage of the canal caused a large number of freighters to stay at both ends of the canal. According to data from the international shipping industry publication Lloyd’s List, the amount of cargo detained each day is estimated at US $ 9.6 billion, and the Wall Street Journal estimates the amount of cargo detained at 12 billion US dollars. American dollars.
This is the worst accident in the history of the Suez Canal where a freighter ran aground and blocked the waterway.
The Suez Canal Authority reopened an older canal to divert some ships, but this canal can only pass smaller ships.
The Suez Canal connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. It was opened for navigation in 1869 and expanded in 2015. It is a commercial center for Europe, Asia and Africa. 12% of world trade flows through this waterway.
The bow and stern of the freighter got stuck in the embankments on either side of the canal, and the bottom of the ship ran aground on the river bed.
Sal Mercogliano, an expert in maritime history at Campbell University in the United States, explained that the head and tail of the freighter were sunk in the river bed on both sides of the channel, and it was very difficult for the giant to float again.
After the incident, 9 tugboats participated in the rescue operations and managed to bail out the stuck freighter.
The owner of the freighter, Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd., stated that it is possible that the freighter embedded in the bottom of the water and the embankment will get out of trouble and regain freedom on Saturday (March 27).
River dredging
It is necessary to dredge the river course around the beached freighter and remove sand and silt next to the ship’s hull.
This work was carried out by the Dutch river dredging engineering company Boskalis.
The United States government expressed its willingness to help,
Image source,Reuters
On March 25, an excavator on the side was cleaning up the sand and dirt around the bow of the ship.
Peter Berdowski, CEO of Boskalis, explained that the freighter is very heavy, so it sank deep into the river bed when it ran aground. It requires a combination of dredging, tugging and unloading to reduce weight and get the freighter out of trouble. , float up.
The Suez Canal was expanded in 2015 to allow the largest ships in the world to pass through.
Unloading to reduce weight
Another task of a beached freighter to alleviate its difficulties is to unload cargo and fuel oil, reduce the weight of the hull and make it float.
The “Longci” weighs 200,000 tons and can carry up to 20,000 20-foot containers.
Image source,Reuters
The tug managed to push the stranded freighter out of the trap and float again.
Risks at this stage include possible damage and loss of balance of the freighter, which is very difficult and time-consuming to operate.
A water crane is required and the dynamic balance and stability of the freighter must be calculated.
Mokogliano said the worst-case scenario is for the ship’s hull to break due to unbalanced loads.
It is relatively easy to unload fuel from a freighter, but it has little effect on overall load reduction.
Channel blocked
As of March 26, according to statistics, there are more than 160 ships stranded at both ends of the canal, including 41 container ships and 24 oil tankers.
In addition to oil and gas tankers, freighters passing through the Suez Canal mainly transport clothing, furniture, industrially produced parts, and auto parts.
In an interview with the BBC, Guy Platten, secretary general of the International Maritime Union (ICS), said that some shipping companies have started to change their routes and avoid the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.
This means a 3,500-mile increase in travel and an additional 12 days in sailing time.
The Suez Canal Authority reopened an older canal to divert some ships, but this canal can only pass smaller ships.
The blockade of the Suez Canal will have a major impact on the global supply chain and ultimately consumers will pay for it.
“Long Give” was completed in 2018, registered in Panama and operated by Taiwan Evergreen Company. The 400-meter-long, 59-meter-wide freighter with a displacement of some 220,000 tons, is one of the largest ships currently in operation.
According to media reports, on March 23, the “Long Grant” faced strong winds and sandstorms as it passed north through the Suez Canal on its way to the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. . The hull drifted off course, bottomed out, and got caught in the river heading north.
