Suez Canal Authority Considering Expansion Of Southern Canal

Suez Canal. (Wikimedia Commons / Mmelouk)

JAKARTA - The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is considering expanding the southern part of the canal, where the giant container ship Ever Given ran aground.

Head of SCA Osama Rabie said that apart from considering expansion, his party was also looking for a crane capable of lowering loads at a height of 52 meters.

"Our procedures are good, we only aim to improve services," he told Reuters, Wednesday, April 7.

Regarding the expansion of the southern part of the Suez Canal, Rabie said it is possible to expand beyond what is needed. As is known, Ever Given ran aground on the southern part of the Canal.

"If there is a section of 250 meters that needs expansion, maybe we make it 400 meters," he continued.

For information, after Ever Given ran aground, the tanker M / T Rumford with a cargo of 62 thousand tons, suddenly suffered engine failure and broke down on the southern route of the Suez Canal on Tuesday, April 6 yesterday.

However, this did not interfere with shipping activities, after SCA sent a tug boat for the Hope and Mosaed 3 Team to successfully tow the ship, so that it did not affect ship traffic.

"Ocean traffic is not affected," said SCA, adding that 84 ships passed through the canal from both sides on Tuesday.

Regarding the aground of Ever Given, he explained that, after being successfully re-floated, the ship was taken to the lake that separated the two parts of the canal, where the Suez Canal Authority conducted an investigation.

Rabie said the data from the ship's recorders had been deleted and turned over to the investigating committee. The ship will continue the journey after the procedure is complete.

"We are talking about two or three more days, God willing. But we won't take much time, "he said.

The committee investigating the Ever Given container shipwreck consisted of five or six members with legal, maritime, rescue and administrative expertise.

"We used about 15 tugboats, for six days. We worked 24 hours a day. We used two dredges. We used relief launches. The canal was closed for six days. That alone caused huge losses," said Rabie.

He added that to support the operation of the canal service, SCA will add more tugboats to be able to serve large vessels such as Ever Given.

"We will try to get two more tugboats, with a traction of more than 200 tonnes - 250, 280, depending," he concluded.