Sticky situation in UK port after grounded Ukrainian tanker leaked molasses
A Ukrainian tanker leaked molasses after grounding in the UK port of Silloth, according to TradeWinds.
The Cumbria Crack website said the 3,300-dwt Zapadnyy (built 1998) is still being monitored after getting stuck on sand while approaching the terminal earlier in February. The Belize-flag ship started to leak some of its cargo into the Solway Firth, the report said. But this spillage has now stopped.
The 77-metre tanker has been refloated and remains at the dock in Silloth, according to port operator ABP. The ports group said there was no evidence of “adverse effects” from the molasses in the water.
The sandbanks at Silloth change quite frequently with the tide, making port entry tricky. The terminal entrance is narrow and vessels have to time their arrivals to coincide with high tide. The tanker previously ran aground near Silloth harbour in 2016, according to a BBC report.
And in 2011, the Zapadnyy hit a floating dock at the Lurssen Yard, in Bremen, according to the Shipwreck Log website.
The vessel was detained in April last year for four days at Felixstowe in the UK, with 21 deficiencies. Five were grounds for detention, including two relating to fire safety. The tanker was inspected again in Amsterdam in October when 10 deficiencies were found, but the ship was not detained. The tanker is operated by Odessa-based Veliero Shipping Corp.
