The bulk carrier Aeolian Grace loaded with 65,804 tons of soy stranded at dawn on Wednesday in Babitonga Bay, after leaving the public port of São Francisco do Sul (SC), which should bring some limitations for new moorings at the site, he said. the port authority on Thursday. Activities at the port, which have been suspended since the incident, were given permission to resume early Thursday afternoon, according to the Porto press office, but further docking will be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. The berthing will depend on the size of the ship and whether the vessel will be able to carry out all the maneuvers, considering that the bulk carrier Aeolian Grace is still stranded, the port added. With the authorization to resume operations, at 13:45 the ship Bunga Lilac began the maneuver to unload approximately 5,000 tons of vegetable oil. According to the port, four ships were waiting to dock in São Francisco do Sul and load soybeans. There was no information as to whether they would be authorized to dock – the port does not work with containers, according to the local press office. In terms of grain handling volume, São Francisco do Sul is the eighth port in Brazil, with exports of 4.2 million tons of soy and 1.5 million tons of corn. The ship’s stranding occurs at the time of the new soybean harvest, which is being harvested. The state of Santa Catarina is not a major grain producer, but the port of São Francisco do Sul receives cargoes of grain produced in other states. Officials discussed actions related to the incident on Thursday, according to the press office. It was also defined that a study will be carried out to eventually carry out the salvage of the ship, which consists of removing the cargo to relieve the weight, which would facilitate the unstuck. The ship was destined for Singapore, according to the Shipping Agency’s report pointed to China as the ultimate soy destination. The port also informed that, before stranding, the ship unmarked under sea, wind and draft conditions within the operational parameters suitable for navigability established by the maritime authority. The Porto and Pilotage technical team assess the damage caused to the ship, according to a port note, which added that no oil leak had been identified.
Source: Reuters