The ship Ever Given operated by the company Evergreen, on Tuesday (23) blocked the passage of all other ships, around the channel. The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea and is Is one of the most used ship routes in the world.
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Channel managers say 14 tugbots are trying to take advantage of Saturday’s high tide and tugbots are trying to arrive on Sunday.
If Ever Giving is still stuck, the rescue team should try to devise a new strategy – try to make the ship lighter. If it was necessary, however, a new and complex logistics operation would have to be implemented.
More than 300 ships are waiting to clear the way on either side of the channel. Some had to modify their routes and move around the African continent to reach their final destination.
By Friday (26), bulldozers had removed about 20,000 tons of sand from the bow of the Hour Giving, which ran along the edge of the channel. Approximately 9,000 tonnes of ballast water to stabilize the ship – stored in tanks – was released to help make the ship lighter, the SCA (Suez Canal Authority, a state-owned company that manages the route) According to President of Osama Rabi.
Raby states that the ship’s stern (rear) started running from Friday night, and the rudder and propeller returned to work. According to him, high tides and winds made the stripping of the ship more difficult. He did not give a specific date for unblocking the channel, but said the SCA would operate as soon as possible, as soon as the Ever Giver deploys, it will be passed to other ships as well.
First reports said that the 400-meter, 200,000-ton ship hit the coast amid strong winds and a sandstorm, affecting visibility. However, Raby says weather conditions were not the “main reason” for the ship to be stranded.
“There may have been technical problems or human errors,” he said, without giving further details. “All these factors (which led to the problem) will be clarified in the investigation.”
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Ever Giving is owned by the Shui Kisun Company of Japan, but operated by the Taiwanese company Evergreen Marine.
Shuki Kisan president Yukito Higaki said on Friday that the ship was not damaged. “Water is not entering the ship. It should be able to operate once deployed,” he said.
What will be the new strategy?
Ships and tugs are being used to clean the ship – Photo: Getty Image via BBC
At the moment, the strategy used to unload the ship is to remove the sand from the shore and use the tugboat to pull the Ever Give.
If this does not continue, rescuers may have to remove some containers the ship is carrying to reduce its weight. However, he says he hoped it was not necessary.
John Denholm, the chairman of the United Kingdom’s Navigation Chamber, previously told the BBC that shifting cargo to another ship or on the side of the canal would involve bringing a special device, including a crane that would require more than 60 meters.
“If we follow this strategy of making the ship lighter, I doubt it will take several weeks to finish,” Denholm said.
Why is the Suez Canal so important?
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About 12% of global trade passes through the 193 km channel, providing the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe.
An alternative route around the Cape of Good Hope in the extreme south of Africa takes two more weeks to complete.
According to data from Lloyd’s List, the blockade is preventing goods from circulating as much as $ 9.6 billion a day.
Rabi says Egypt is losing $ 14 million a day from blocking the channel. He said that Egypt thanked the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates for their offers of help.
