OOCL Megaship Runs Aground in Suez Canal

24 Oct 2017 10.32am

Orient Overseas Container Line's new 21,413 TEU capacity containership has experienced a temporary grounding in the Suez Canal, according to Container & Shipping Trade.

Newbuilding OOCL Japan ran aground in the Canal on October 18, 2017 at around midday, while on its way to Felixstowe in the UK from Singapore.

During the grounding, OOCL Japan pivoted to block the shipping fairway, however the ship behind it, 6,690 TEU capacity Maersk Kimi, managed to stop in time.

Egyptian tugs were set to be deployed to free the 399.8-metre long vessel stuck in the busy shipping chokepoint.

OOCL Japan was just christened in South Korea in September 1, 2017, the third in OOCL’s series of six 21 ,000-TEU-class containerships. It featured a design draught of 14.5 metres.

Its sister ship OOCL Hong Kong has officially been recorded as the world’s biggest containership by carry capacity at 21,413 TEU.

OOCL Japan, classed with the world's largest ships, during its sea trial

A spokesperson for the owner said mechanical problems caused the ship to go off course and become grounded, but the precise causes were still being investigated.

OOCL Japan has since been liberated and continued its transit.

Read a paper from Conductix on how terminal cranes can be extended to keep up with the requirement to serve megaships like OOCL’s.

At the time of its christening, the OOCL Japan was set to be serving the Asia-Europe trade lane on the LL1 service calling at Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Yantian, Singapore, via Suez Canal, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Gdansk, Wilhelmshaven, Felixstowe, via Suez Canal, Singapore, Yantian, Shanghai.