Suez blockage due to Ever Given

Satellite images: Planet Labs

Suez blockage

The suspension of traffic through the vital waterway is set to disrupt world trade, which has already been plagued by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early on March 23, a Rotterdam-bound vessel, Ever Given, ran aground in the Suez Canal, one of the world’s busiest waterways and the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

23 March 05:45am

Ever Given

runs aground

Suez

Port

Tawfiq

Gulf of Suez

23 March 05:10am

Enters Suez

Canal

2 km

23 March 05:45am

Ever Given

runs aground

Suez

Port

Tawfiq

Gulf of Suez

23 March 05:10am

Enters Suez

Canal

2 km

23 March 05:45am

Ever Given

runs aground

Suez

Port

Tawfiq

Gulf of Suez

23 March 05:10am

Enters Suez

Canal

2 km

According to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), the ship was unable to keep a straight trajectory due to high winds and a sand storm that reduced visibility. As the incident happened, stormy weather was buffeting Egypt, forcing the closure of several Mediterranean and Red Sea ports.

An excavator attempts to free stranded container ship Ever Given. Suez Canal Authority/Handout via REUTERS

The 400 metre-long Ever Given container ship ran aground early in the morning as it travelled north from the Red Sea towards the Mediterranean, twisting diagonally across the canal. At least eight tug boats, one with a towing power of 160 tons, have been trying to free the ship by pushing and pulling it away from the banks, with the help of the ship’s own winches.

Diggers have been clearing earth at the ship’s bow, which was buried in the canal’s eastern bank, and the SCA has deployed two dredgers.

The bulbous bow of the ship is lodged into canal’s bank.

400m

286m

Width of the canal where the Ever Given ran aground

Heavy machinery has been working to free the vessel.

The bulbous bow of the ship is lodged into canal’s bank

400m

286m

Width of the canal where the Ever Given ran aground

Heavy machinery has been working to free the vessel.

The bulbous bow of the ship is lodged into canal’s bank

400m

Excavator

286m

Width of the canal where the Ever Given ran aground

Heavy machinery has been working to free the vessel.

The bulbous bow of the ship is lodged into canal’s bank.

400m

Excavator

286m

Width of the canal where the Ever Given ran aground

Heavy machinery has been working to free the vessel.

The Ever Given is blocking the southernmost stretch of the canal, which has a single lane, meaning no other ships can pass. The SCA allowed a convoy of ships to enter the canal from its northern end at Port Said on March 24, hoping the Ever Given would soon be freed. But the vessels have dropped anchor in the Great Bitter Lake nearly 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of the container ship.

Tanker

Bulker ship

Container ship

Port Said

Ismailia

Great Bitter Lake

Ever Given

On March 23, the container ship ran aground after a gust of wind blew the vessel off course.

Suez

20 km

20 km

N

Tanker

Bulker

ship

Container

ship

Port

Said

Ismailia

Great Bitter

Lake

Suez

Ever Given

On March 23, the container

ship ran aground after a

gust of wind blew the vessel

off course.

20 km

N

Tanker

Bulker

ship

Container

ship

Port

Said

Ismailia

Great Bitter

Lake

Suez

Ever Given

On March 23, the container

ship ran aground after a

gust of wind blew the vessel

off course.

Tanker

Bulker ship

Container ship

Port Said

Ismailia

Great Bitter Lake

Ever Given

On March 23, the container ship ran aground after a gust of wind blew the vessel off course.

Suez

20 km

This has created a setback for global trade as officials stopped all ships entering the channel since it may take weeks to clear. A total of 206 large container ships, tankers carrying oil and gas, and bulk vessels hauling grain have backed up at either end of the canal, according to each vessel’s AIS (Automatic Identification System) tracking data from March 25.

About 30% of global container traffic flows through the Suez Canal annually.

Ever Given

Suez

Ships

Gulf of Suez

2 km

N

Ever Given

Suez

Ships

Gulf of Suez

2 km

N

Ever Given

Suez

Ships

Gulf of Suez

2 km

N

Ever Given

Suez

Ships

Gulf of Suez

2 km

N

Ever Given

Suez

Ships

Gulf of Suez

2 km

N

At the southern entrance, many vessels have moored in anticipation the vessel will be freed from the canal’s banks.

The suspension of traffic through the narrow channel has deepened problems for shipping lines that were already facing disruption and delays in supplying retail goods to consumers. Shipping companies now face the difficult decision of whether to divert their vessels to sail around the southern tip of Africa, which could be very expensive and would add at least five-to-10 days to the journey time.

Through the Suez Canal

Around 8,500 nautical miles in a 26-day trip

Rotterdam

ASIA

Suez Canal

Singapore

AFRICA

Around the southern tip of Africa

Around 11,800 Nautical miles in a 36-day trip

Rotterdam

EUROPE

ASIA

Suez Canal

Through the Suez Canal

Around 8,500 nautical miles in a 26-day trip

Singapore

AFRICA

Around the southern tip of Africa

Around 11,800 Nautical miles in a 36-day trip

Rotterdam

EUROPE

ASIA

Suez Canal

Through the Suez Canal

Around 8,500 nautical miles in a 26-day trip

Singapore

AFRICA

Around the southern tip of Africa

Around 11,800 Nautical miles in a 36-day trip

Rotterdam

EUROPE

ASIA

Suez Canal

Through the Suez Canal

Around 8,500 nautical miles in a 26-day trip

Singapore

AFRICA

Around the southern tip of Africa

Around 11,800 Nautical miles in a 36-day trip

The blockage comes on top of the disruption to world trade already caused in the past year by COVID-19, when trade volumes dropped sharply, leaving many commercial ships and ports idled.

Sources

Refinitiv; Planet Labs; Maps4News; Shoei Kisen Kaisha

By

Manas Sharma, Marco Hernandez and Anand Katakam

Editing by

Neil Fullick and Anand Katakam

Additional contributions from

Yusri Mohamed, Gavin Maguire and Florence Tan