Factbox: Ever Given stranding in the Suez Canal

July 6 (Reuters) – The Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships, was cleared to leave the Suez Canal after the canal authority reached an agreement with the shipowner and the insurers.

The ship blocked the canal for six days in March, disrupting world trade.

EARTHING

The Ever Given, operated by Evergreen Line, ran aground on March 23 in the southernmost section of the Suez Canal, which has a single track that ships pass through in convoys.

According to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), the vessel lost the ability to steer at a time of strong winds and poor visibility, and she was moving well above the appropriate speed.

Guided by his captain and two SCA pilots, he crossed the canal and buried his bow in the bank, blocking the canal diagonally.

IMPACT

About 15% of global maritime traffic passes through the Suez Canal, one of the busiest waterways in the world and the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia.

It is an important source of foreign exchange income for Egypt.

The six-day blockade caused a delay of more than 400 ships at both ends of the canal.

Among those waiting were dozens of container ships, bulk carriers, tankers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) ships.

Oil tanker shipping rates nearly doubled after the failure of Ever Given and the lockdown disrupted global supply chains.

Some ships have turned away from the Cape of Good Hope. Shippers have warned that the disruptions could take weeks or months to resolve.

RELEASE

SCA and the Dutch rescue company Smit tried for days to free Ever Given using dredges and tugs in the water and backhoes on the shore.

They also emptied the ballasts as they attempted to refloat the 400-meter (1,310-foot) vessel and made contingency plans to unload some of its 18,300 containers.

They dislodged the ship using high tides and powerful newly deployed tugs on March 29, after dredging tens of thousands of cubic meters of sand and earth.

DETENTION

After the release of Ever Given, he sailed north to Great Amer Lake, which separates two sections of the canal, to be inspected for possible damage.

Shortly afterwards, the chairman of the SCA said the channel was seeking nearly $ 1 billion in compensation for the incident.

SCA obtained a court order allowing the vessel to be detained while it pursued its claim, which it said covered salvage costs, loss of income and damage to reputation.

He then publicly lowered the claim to $ 600 million and then to $ 550 million as he pursued an out-of-court settlement.

The Japanese owner of the Ever Given, Shoei Kisen, and his insurers have challenged the detention and the claim for compensation.

The two sides announced on July 4 that a final settlement had been reached, without disclosing details.

The crew, all of Indian nationality, remained on the ship throughout, although several members were allowed to leave for personal reasons.

Written by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

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