Egypt: "Suez Canal Water Level Drops Due to Low Tide... Tugging Operations for Grounded Ships Delayed"

Stalled Towing Operations... Over 180 Ships Held Up
"If Navigation Delays Occur, $60,000 Daily Freight Cost Loss"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Egyptian authorities have announced that the towing operation of the large container ship stranded in the Suez Canal is slowing down due to the water level dropping overnight during low tide, raising concerns that the reopening of the Suez Canal could be prolonged. More than 180 vessels are already waiting as the canal remains blocked for the third day, but with the slow progress in resolving the incident, shipping companies are worried about losses exceeding $60,000 (approximately 68 million KRW) per day.

According to the Associated Press and major foreign media on the 25th (local time), the Suez Canal Authority (SAC) of Egypt stated in a press release, "The water level in the Suez Canal has dropped overnight due to low tide, delaying the towing operation of the large container ship Ever Given, which is currently causing a two-way traffic jam." They added, "We are trying to pull the ship off the sandbar using tugboats, but the operation is slow due to the wind direction and the massive size of the 220,000-ton vessel."

According to major foreign media, despite 24 hours of towing efforts, the Ever Given has only slightly changed direction and remains stuck in its original position. The ship deviated from its course while navigating the Suez Canal the previous day, with both the bow and stern grounded on the sandbar outside the canal, effectively blocking the entire canal like a wall. As a result, the Suez Canal is closed to traffic in both directions.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that if the towing operation continues to make no progress, the option of unloading all containers to lighten the ship's weight is being considered. WSJ noted that if such unloading operations are involved, the recovery work could take several weeks. Although the Suez Canal has experienced temporary traffic restrictions due to ship accidents in 2004, 2016, and 2017, the SAC authorities are reportedly very unsettled as there has never been a case where a mega container ship has been stranded like a barrier.

According to Bloomberg News, if the towing operation of the Ever Given continues for more than 48 hours, ships waiting to resume passage through the Suez Canal will have to choose a route around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, which could add about seven days to their journey. Bloomberg reported that a one-day delay in navigation could result in losses of approximately $60,000.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.