For days, the fire raged on the “Fremantle Highway” off the Dutch coast. An oil spill threatened islands and the Wadden Sea. The danger is now over. The car freighter, which was severely damaged by a major fire, arrived safely at the port of the Dutch city of Eemshaven on Thursday afternoon. He was towed by two tugboats and accompanied by other boats and a Coast Guard plane.
Experts had previously assessed the situation on board the car freighter as stable enough for transport to the safe port. A large part of the ship has now been inspected by specialists, and there are “no signs that it is still burning,” said a spokesman for the Dutch water authority. But there is a risk that flames will flare up again.
Eemshaven is about 64 kilometers from the previous temporary anchorage of the “Fremantle Highway” off the island of Schiermonnikoog. The port is located at the mouth of the Ems, opposite the German side with East Frisian Emden.
Onlookers watch the “Fremantle Highway” being towed into the portImage: Peter Dejong/AP/picture alliance
The nearly 200-meter-long ship was so badly damaged that, for safety reasons, it could only be transported “very slowly and carefully,” experts said before the campaign began. Specialists on board would constantly check stability. The transport in the North Sea was also accompanied by a special ship that can clear oil in an emergency.
The freighter can be unloaded in the port. He has around 3,800 cars on board, including around 500 electric vehicles. Pollutants and heavy oil also have to be disposed of.
Worried about an environmental catastrophe
The decision to tow the ship on this Thursday was made during the night. In view of the extensive damage, the ship had to be relocated. “You don’t want something like that on the open sea,” said the spokesman. Strong northwesterly winds are forecast for the afternoon. The risks of oil leaks through cracks in the steel walls or even capsizing increased. This could lead to an environmental catastrophe for the islands and the Wadden Sea.
Earlier in the week, the “Fremantle Highway” was towed away from a busy shipping lane (photo from 01.08.2023)Image: Coast Guard of the Netherlands/Arca/dpa/picture alliance
The Fremantle Highway, flying the Panamanian flag, was on its way from Bremerhaven to Singapore when a fire broke out a week ago. The battery of an electric car is suspected to be the source of the fire. But that’s not confirmed yet. A crew member from India died during the evacuation of the ship. The remaining 22 people who were on board were rescued. The 18,500-ton freighter was last anchored 16 kilometers north of the Wadden Sea islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland. It was towed to this temporary location on Sunday and Monday to bring it to safety from busy shipping lanes.
qu/ww/ust/se (dpa, rtr, afp)
That’s how great the risk of fire is with e-cars
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