The owners of the massive ship blocking the Suez Canal aim to refloat the vessel by Saturday night, hoping that a high tide and the further removal of sediment will finally dislodge it.
At a press conference Friday, Yukito Higaki, the president of Shoei Kisen which owns the Ever Given, said it was aiming to free the ship “tomorrow night Japan time,” according to a translation by the Nikkei news agency.
“We are continuing work to remove sediment as of now, with additional dredging tools,” he added, while apologizing for the “great trouble and concern” that the incident has caused.
Other media reports suggest at least two attempts will be made on Saturday to free the ship using the expected high tide. Reuters reported, citing sources, that work would begin at 2:30 p.m. local time. If that fails, then the rescue efforts will be bolstered on Sunday with two additional tugs arriving, joining the 10 already in operation at the scene.
Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, the Dutch technical manager working to free the Ever Given, said there have been no reports of pollution or cargo damage, and initial investigations rule out any mechanical or engine failure as a cause of the grounding.
“All 25 crew are safe and accounted for and they remain in good health and spirits. All crew are Indian nationals and remain onboard,” BSM said in a statement.
“They are working closely with all parties involved to re-float the vessel. The hard work and tireless professionalism of the Master and crew is greatly appreciated.”
The vessel, a 220,000-ton mega ship nearly a quarter-mile long with a 20,000 container capacity, ran aground after reportedly being blown by strong winds while entering Egypt’s Suez Canal from the Red Sea.
Cargo ship blocking Suez Canal costs billions in delays of goods
It’s completely blocked the passageway that is home to as much as 12% of the world’s seaborne trade and through which 50 container ships normally transit per day.
The shipping crisis, now in its fifth day, has added to anxieties over the global supply chain which had already been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Each day of blockage disrupts more than $9 billion worth of goods, according to Lloyd’s List, which translates to about $400 million per hour.
