Grounded CSCL Indian Ocean refloated

Following several failed attempts to refloat 400 m vessel over the weekend, emergency crews were able to use the spring tide, where waters rose 1.2 m, to free the vessel, which has been stuck in the River Elbe since running aground as it approached the port of Hamburg last week.

A contentious political issue in Germany, the dredging of the River Elbe is viewed by many local shipping companies and port operators as an urgent necessity for the future of shipping. Late last year, Port of Hamburg said in a statement: “The long overdue dredging of the Lower and Outer Elbe add to the difficulty of handling especially large ships.”

“Some competing ports in the North Range are specifically attacking the related trades and are taking quantities away from Hamburg because the restrictions on the Elbe constrict utilization of the transport capacities of large vessels.”