The fire-stricken containership Maersk Honam has now berthed at the Port of Jebel Ali where cargo discharge operations are now underway nearly three months after a major fire broke out on board the vessel.
Maersk Line confirmed in a statement to gCaptain that the Maersk Honam berth on Sunday, May 27.
The discharge operations for all undamaged cargo have commenced and are estimated to last approximately four to six days, Maersk said.
“The condition of the vessel will be further evaluated. As things stand it is our intention to repair the vessel,” Maersk added.
The 353-meter Maersk Honam, an ultra-large container ship (ULCS), caught fire on March 6 in the Arabian Sea en route to the Mediterranean Sea, via the Suez Canal. The incident claimed the lives of five crew members.
According to Maersk, the ship was carrying a total of 7,860 containers, corresponding to 12,416 twenty-foot equivalent units, when it caught fire.
All cargo in the forward holds 1-3 have been declared a total loss, but containers aft of the ship’s superstructure went largely undamaged.
The cargo loss forced Maersk to declare general average on 9 March and the company appointed Liverpool-based average adjuster Richards Hogg Lindley to collect the necessary GA security. The basic concept of GA is that all losses, including salvage, port, and transfer costs, are shared between surviving cargo.
Adjuster Richards Hogg Lindley has set the salvage security to the amount of 42.5% of the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value of the cargo, with an additional 11.5% required as GA security.
The Singapore-flagged Maersk Honam was delivered in 2017 by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. It has a nominal capacity of 15,262 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit).
Cargo discharge operations on board the Maersk Honam have been completed and the first containers have been released after a three-month detour due to fire.
The ultra-large containership Maersk Honam, which was hit by a major fire on March 6, berthed at the Port of Jebel Ali on Sunday after sitting anchor off the coast for several weeks.
Mearsk said in an update on Thursday that discharge operations have now been finalized and the first containers cleared for onward transport.
The statement said cntainers which have been declared sound and for which all General Average and Salvage securities have been submitted are now being released and will be loaded on other vessels for transport to their final destination.
Maersk’s maintains that its intention is to repair the vessel, but the condition will be further evaluated after berthing.
A full investigation in collaboration with relevant authorities is ongoing to determine the cause of the fire.
“Maersk Line remains committed to assist all relevant authorities during the investigation,” the company said in the update.
The 2017-built Maersk Honam was loaded with 7,860 containers, corresponding to 12,416 twenty-foot equivalent units, when it caught fire in the Arabian Sea on March 6. The fire burned through all cargo holds forward of the superstructure.
Five crew members died as a result of accident.
Maersk declared general average on the vessel on March 9, appointing Liverpool-based average adjuster Richards Hogg Lindley to collect the necessary GA security. The adjuster later set the salvage security in the amount of 42.5% of the CIF (cost, insurance and freight) value of the cargo, with an additional 11.5% required as GA security.
The basic concept of GA is that all losses, including salvage, port, and transfer costs, are shared between surviving cargo.
by Mike SchulerMaersk Honam fire in the Arabian Sea.
Firefighting is underway for the containership Maersk Honam which is adrift and continues to burn in the Arabian Sea off Oman, Maersk Line said in an update.
The salvage firms Smit Salvage and Ardent have been hired to lead the salvage.
An Indian Coast Guard vessel commenced firefighting on Thursday, March 8. Two additional vessels arrived on located early Friday morning and have initiated firefighting.
Maersk Line says it has sent two technical engineering teams to Salalah, Oman, where they will work closely with the salvors from Smit and Ardent.
As firefighting gets underway, the search continues for the four missing crew members, although at this point hope of finding survivors is fading, Maersk Line said.
The MV Maersk Honam on fire in the Arabian Sea, March 8, 2018. Photo: Indian Coast Guard
The 353-meter Maersk Honam, an ultra-large container ship (ULCS) built in 2017, first reported a serious fire in one of its cargo holds on Tuesday, March 6, while heading west in the Arabian Sea approximately 900 nautical southeast of Salalah, Oman. Of the 27 crew members on board, 23 were evacuated to nearby containership.
One fatality has been confirmed and four crew members remained missing as of Friday. At least two of the evacuated crew members suffered serious injuries and are receiving treatment in a hospital. It was not immediately clear on Friday how many others may have been injured.
Twenty of the evacuated crew members have disembarked the containership ALS Ceres in Cochin, India, while the two injured crew members plus a third uninjured crew member were taken to the city of Trivandrum.
“We are relieved that a majority of our colleagues have been released from the hospital. We, however, remain deeply concerned about the health condition of our colleagues still in hospital and are grateful that they are in the capable hands of medical professionals. We are in regular contact with the hospitals and monitor the situation of all our colleagues,” says Palle Laursen, Chief Technical Officer for Maersk.
Photos of the burning vessel released on Thursday showed fire damage mostly to the forward part of the ship from bow to the superstructure.
The Indian Coast Guard on Friday said the fire has been “localized” and is no longer spreading. Tugs at the scene include the CSC Nelson and Maersk Involver, it said.
“We are appreciative of the partnering assistance we’ve received from local Indian authorities and we must now let the salvage team do their work. It is still too early to determine the cause of the fire or the impact to the vessel or cargo. Obviously, finding the cause of the fire is very important to us and a full investigation will be conducted as soon as possible,” said Laursen.
The Maersk Honam is carrying a total of 7,860 containers, corresponding to 12,416 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent).
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) March 9, 2018
@IndiaCoastGuard Ship Shoor continues to fight fire onboard MV Maersk Honam at High seas. Fire has been successfully localized and prevented from spreading. Two tugs CSC Nelson &, Maersk Involver have also joined in Fire Fighting operation today.@DefenceMinIndia@SpokespersonMoDpic.twitter.com/YK6b53VYD5
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) March 9, 2018
Maersk Honam was built in 2017 at Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. It has a nominal capacity of 15,262 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit), and sails under the Singapore flag.
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