ONE Apus Cargo Ops Expected to Take Over a Month

The operation to remove dislodged containers from the ONE Apus has started after permission was granted by the Japanese Coast Guard, its owner and manager said in an update today.

The containership remains berthed in the Port of Kobe, where it arrived December 8 after returning from the Pacific Ocean where it lost some 1,816 containers overboard in severe weather on November 30. The operation to remove the collapsed containers remains on deck is expected to take over one month.

“The careful removal of the dislodged units under a schedule formulated by stowage planners is expected to take over a month with safety the number one priority. Once unloaded, each will be assessed, and when the discharge of cargo is complete, there will be a full assessment of damage to the vessel and subsequent repairs,” today’s update said.

Based on the number of units estimated lost, the incident is likely to be one of the liner shipping industry’s worst cargo losses since the MOL Comfort sank in the Indian Ocean in 2013.

The ONE Apus is a 14,000 TEU containership built in 2019 measuring 364-meters in length and sailing under the Japanese flag. The vessel is operated by Ocean Network Express on the Far East Pacific 2 (FP2) Service. Its owners and managers are Chidori Ship Holding LLC and NYK Shipmanagement Pte Ltd, respectively.

Among the containers lost were 64 Dangerous Goods containers, including 54 with fireworks, eight containing batteries and two with liquid ethanol.

Full Coverage: ONE Apus

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