The Timing for Suez Canal Route Normalization... "At Least Three and a Half Days After Full Recovery"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunbyeol Kim] As news spreads that the hull of the large container ship Ever Given, which ran aground in the Suez Canal in Egypt, has partially floated, attention is focused on when the route will be normalized. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) estimates that it will take about three and a half days for all the ships waiting nearby to pass through.

According to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) on the 29th (local time), at least 369 vessels were staying near the canal, waiting for the waterway to reopen. The waiting ships are reported to be carrying cargo as well as livestock.

Osama Rabie, head of the SCA, announced the partial refloating of the Ever Given on the same day, saying, "Once the hull is refloated, the Suez Canal will operate 24 hours a day immediately," and added, "It is expected to take about three and a half days to clear the waiting ships." He explained, "The stern, which was 4 meters from the embankment, is now 102 meters away from it. Accordingly, the ship's direction has returned to about 80% normal."

The SCA plans to resume canal operations immediately to resolve the traffic congestion once the Ever Given is fully afloat and able to move.

However, some foreign media reported that the hull is not yet completely afloat. The Associated Press, citing Boskalis, the parent company of the salvage operator Smit Salvage, reported that the lower part of the Ever Given's hull is still stuck in sand and mud.

Peter Berdowski, CEO of Boskalis, explained in an interview with a Dutch local media outlet, "While some refloating has succeeded and the stern is now free, the next task is to excavate the seabed where the bow's lower part is stuck using a high-pressure water jet." He added that the problem on the opposite side of the refloated part also needs to be resolved.

A representative of Shoei Kisen, the Japanese owner of the accident vessel, also stated that although the bow moved slightly, the lower part is still in contact with the seabed.

Maersk, the world's largest Danish shipping company, stated in a message to customers that even if the Suez Canal operation resumes, it will take more than six days, and possibly up to a month, to clear the backlog of waiting ships.

The Ever Given, a Panama-flagged vessel traveling from China to Rotterdam, Netherlands, ran aground in the middle of the Suez Canal on the morning of the 23rd. This accident blocked the passage of the Suez Canal, a key route for global trade, causing enormous damage. The ship was carrying about 20,000 containers.

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