Containership Involved in North Sea Collision Arrives at Recycling Yard
The Solong, the containership that hit the U.S. tanker Stena Immaculate on March 10 in the North Sea, has arrived in Belgium for recycling. Metals recycling firm Galloo confirmed to The Maritime Executive that it will be handling the recycling work for the ship.
“The recycling is very straightforward for us as most of the (non)-hazardous waste has already been burned or removed,” explained Peter Wyntin, Head of ship recycling for Galloo in Gent. “We hope to finish the job by the end of 2025 or latest by early 2026.”
The 9,300-dwt container ship spent the past few months berthed at the Scottish port of Aberdeen, where it arrived on March 28. It was reported that it would undergo a damage assessment. Images show the vessel also underwent remediation while in Scotland, with the fire debris and the remains of the containers removed from the ship.
The Port of Aberdeen confirmed to STV News that the casualty had departed the port early on Saturday, August 9. It was being towed by Multratug 36 with a destination of Ghent, Belgium. The tug reached Belgium late on the afternoon of August 12.
Galloo has previously highlighted its expertise in recycling ships and other structures. It said that with the cruise ship Astoria, which reached its yard last month, Galloo would recycle more than 97 percent of the metals and other materials from the ship into renewable raw materials.
The legal ramifications of the incident, however, continue. The captain of the Solong remains in custody in the UK, charged with gross negligence manslaughter for the one sailor who went missing from the containership after it hit the tanker. A total of 36 other people were rescued and brought to safety while the vessels continued to burn for days in the North Sea.
The Portuguese-flagged containership was moving at a speed of 16 knots with the master alone on the bridge as it approached the anchored Stena Immaculate. The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Bureau issued a preliminary update in April highlighting the lack of a lookout despite patchy fog in the area. MAIB said that it would be investigating among the factors “the navigation and watchkeeping practices on board both vessels, manning, and fatigue management.” It will also look at the use of the area off the Humber Estuary as an anchorage, the environmental conditions at the time of the allision, and the condition and maintenance of the vessels.