A number of ships appear to be changing course to avoid Egypt’s blocked Suez Canal and sail around the Cape of Good Hope instead.
The trip from Asia to Europe around the southern tip of Africa is longer, but operators may calculate that their vessels will make better time on that route than waiting for the Ever Given to be refloated in Suez.
The backlog of ships caused by the MV Ever Given’s grounding in the Suez Canal has reached 248, according to experts from Lloyds List Intelligence.
Workers trying to free the enormous vessel may have to dig down 16m around it. They have deployed a specialised suction dredger able to shift 2,000 cubic metres of material every hour, with the Suez Canal Authority saying up to 10 times that amount might need to be removed.
It is thought the salvage team is aiming for Saturday’s high tide which might help re-float the container vessel.
The Ever Given, a Panama-flagged ship operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen and owned by Shoei Kisen KK, a Japanese company, became wedged sideways across the vital waterway on Tuesday.
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Source: The Independent
BDP International is actively monitoring the situation and reaching out to our customers who have cargo aboard the EVER GIVEN, as well as the impact on other vessels in the area. We will continue to share updates as we receive them, but should you have any questions or concerns please reach out to your local BDP representative.
