How to solve the container shipping problem in the Suez Canal? | Current Africa | D.W.

The word of authority comes straight from Cairo. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ordered preparations to unload containers from the stranded cargo ship “Ever Given”. This was announced by the Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Osama Rabi. The workers were already preparing to deploy, the Admiral added.

At the site, it would take twelve hours to dig to free the crossing vessel. Then the towers have to be used again for twelve hours, says Rabbi. Now 14 drags are used. “Ever Given” loaded 18,300 containers.

The container ship, which weighs more than 220,000 tons, has been blocking the Suez Canal connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea without locks since Tuesday. With each passing day the pressure on those in charge increases as about 370 ships are now waiting to pass through the 193-kilometer-long waterway. It also increases economic damage. The rabbi told Al Arabiya television that he was considering reducing fares for ships affected by the siege.

Backup experts hoped the 400-meter-long “Ever Given” road would be recovered without taking time to land. However, the missions of the 400-meter-long Colossus, one of the world’s largest container vessels, are proving tough. According to service provider Inzcap Shipping Services, the Colossus can now be moved with the help of 29-meter towers.

More drags along the way

Two more pullouts registered in the Netherlands and Italy are expected to be supported this Sunday. This was announced by Bernhard Schultz Management (PSM), which is responsible for the technical management of “Ever Given”. The rudder of the container ship has already been released. Dutch foreclosure company Smith Salvage announced Friday evening that the forecast would be for a crane installed to remove hundreds of containers from the site.

When the Japanese owner’s ship sailed across the canal with two pilots on its way to Rotterdam. According to preliminary investigations, the PSM said the cause was “strong winds”. However, Admiral Rabbi ruled on Saturday that only wind and sand storms could lead to the accident. Nor can “human error” be ruled out.

The 25 team members from India are doing well. There is no information yet as to whether the cargo may be damaged or the water contaminated.

Significant loss of income

The Suez Canal is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. About 30 percent of the world’s container size and twelve percent of all goods are shipped through the canal. Russia and Saudi Arabia, the two countries that send the most oil through the canal, are likely to be particularly hard hit. Due to the days-long siege, Egypt lost significant revenue. By 2020, the Canal Authority earned about $ 5.6 billion from the transportation of 18,800 vessels.

kle / uh (dpa, rtr, afp)