The ship blocking Suez Canal has now refloated to clear the canal. Since Tuesday, the Ever Given has been stuck sideways in Egypt's canal, clogging a critical artery for the global economy and forcing numerous ships to turn around and reroute across Africa.
Ship Blocking Suez Canal is now free
Engineers have partially freed a wedged ship that has been blocking the Suez Canal, and tug boats are now trying to straighten it out, potentially reopening the crucial trading route and putting an end to days of global supply disruptions, according to The Wall Street Journal.
"We're not finished yet, but it's moving," Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority said, adding that tugboats will stay on the scene for another hour or so to ensure the ship could continue its journey up the canal.
However, it's unknown when the canal will reopen to the more than 400 ships that are currently stranded there waiting for it to clear, as reported by Insider.
During high winds early Tuesday, the 400-meter-long Ever Given became wedged in the canal. It was positioned diagonally across the southernmost part of the channel, barring one of the world's busiest waterways. NTD reported the accident.
Last Saturday, two Suez Canal Authority (SCA) sources said a combination of digging material from around the ship and tugboats pulling and dragging the boat made minor success in trying to remove it. As per one source, the ship's bow had changed position.
The canal handles over 15% of global trade traffic. There are plenty of vessels that are waiting to transit once the blockage is cleared.
Rabie indicated he hoped that wouldn't be needed to move any of the ship's 18,300 cargo to lighten its load. High tides and winds were disrupting attempts to do so.
He said the ship's stern began to change towards Suez last Friday. It was a good sign until 11 p.m., whenever the tide fell dramatically, and they stopped. Journalists in Suez were told in a press brief about the ship blocking Suez Canal.
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By Friday, dredgers have removed 20,000 tons of sand from the areas around the boat's bow. If larger tugboats, digging, and a high tide are successful in dislodging the vessel, it may be freed by the start of next week according to a Dutch firm working on releasing it.
Tugging operations began on Saturday afternoon, with more expected for Sunday. SCA sources reported more sand might need to be cleared from around the boat to raise it.
The SCA had notified Port said establishments to prepare for new ships' possible entry into the canal. This was according to a shipping source, while the SCA had outlined a plan for the rapid transit of 133 boats once the Ever Given was freed.
Heavy tugboats with a combined capacity of 400 tons should come this weekend. The head of Boskalis said the parent company of Dutch firm Smit Salvage, has been brought in to assist the SCA.
Boskalis Chief Executive Peter Berdowski said they expect to finish it by the weekend. He informed about developments late Friday on the Dutch news show Nieuwsuur.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly thanked foreign partners on Saturday for the offers to aid in refloating the ship.
After the ship became trapped, freight rates for oil product tankers roughly doubled. The blockade has disrupted global supply chains, causing expensive delays for companies already subject to COVID-19 restrictions.
Should the blockade continues, shippers may decide to reroute their cargoes around the Cape of Good Hope. It adds about two weeks to go around with additional fuel costs.
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