Japan’s Ocean Network Express Eyeing Mid-March Return for ONE Apus

Work is underway for the ONE Apus to return to service sometime next month nearly four months after the ship lost almost 2,000 boxes overboard in the Pacific Ocean.

Japanese shipping line Ocean Network Express (ONE), operator of the ONE Apus, provided an update on the ongoing cargo discharging operations in Kobe, Japan. Since the operation began, a total of 859 boxes have now been safely removed from the vessel as of February 17, ONE reported.

The ONE Apus lost 1,816 boxes overboard including 64 containing dangerous goods in severe weather as it sailed across the Pacific Ocean to Long Beach, California, on November 30, 2020. The vessel returned to Kobe, Japan over a week later, revealing for the first time the true extent of the accident.

ONE says discharging operations, inspection work and the trans-loading of the discharged damaged containers is continuing to proceed steadily and plans are for the ONE Apus to depart Kobe around mid-March. ONE is now telling customers to provide the necessary cargo documentation in order to avoid any future delays.

An update on the exact number of containers impacted has not been issued since the days following the accident. The latest figure remains the 1,816 individual containers initially reported.

The ONE Apus is operated on Ocean Network Express’s Far East Pacific 2 (FP2) Service. The ship has capacity of 14,000 twenty-foot equivalent boxes, or TEU, and is registered in Japan. General Average was never declared in the accident.

“We appreciate customers’ support and assistance which would be critical to ensure all documents are timely completed to meet the vessel departure schedule,” ONE said.

The ONE Apus incident has been the worst out a string of container loss incidents to impact the trans-pacific this winter season. Two Maersk-operated ships have also fallen victim to cargo loss; the Maersk Eindhoven (lost 260 containers) and Maersk Essen (lost some 750).

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