Container Ship Ever Given Worth Sailing, Rp13.3 Trillion Fine Will Be Paid Joint Venture

Kapal kontainer Ever Given. (Wikimedia Commons/Robert Schwemmer for NOAA's National Ocean Service)

JAKARTA - The technical manager of the giant container ship Ever Given that ran aground in the Suez Canal, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) said that the ship in legal dispute is ready to continue its journey, after approval is given.

Ever Given was declared to be able to make the next trip from Great Bitter Lake to Port Said, where he will be assessed again before departing for Rotterdam, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) said in a statement, according to Reuters Thursday, April 15.

Container ship Ever Given has been in the lake between two parts of the canal, since March 29. The 400-meter (430-yard) vessel was stuck in the canal for six days, blocking traffic.

Egypt's Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said on Wednesday negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement on compensation claims filed may take some time

"The SCA's decision to capture the ship was very disappointing. From the outset, BSM and the crew in it have cooperated fully with all authorities," BSM CEO Ian Beveridge said in a statement.

"BSM's main goal is a quick resolution to this issue that will allow the ship and crew to leave the Suez Canal," he continued.

Related compensation claims amounting to USD916 million or approximately Rp13.3 trillion filed by SCA, which makes Ever Given withheld to date, will likely be paid jointly.

Konteriner Ever Given's ship when it ran aground in the Suez Canal. (Suez Canal Authority)

In a filing at London's High Court conducted by Ever Given, compensation claims can be shared with Evergreen (Taiwan expedition shipping company), insurance company and owner of container cargo on board.

The owner of Ever Given filed a 'General Average' claim in early April against Evergreen Marine Corp., the company that leased the ship. The lawsuit includes 15 other parties who are likely to be required to pay the claim.

The 'General Average' is a maritime legal principle, which requires each ship's customers to share the risks and costs involved, in the event of a ship facing tragedy or failure.

"Evergreen Marine received a notice from a lawyer representing the owner of EVER GIVEN on April 1 stating, the owner has filed a claim for Admiralty restrictions in the High Court in the UK in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, given the obligations and compensation that may occur due to grounding incidents," explained an Evergreen spokesman.

Declaring a general average would prevent Shoei Kisen Kaisha, the ship's owner, and his insurance from paying for most of the damage from the wreck. But it can lead to longer waiting times for people to receive items that are still on board.