The dredgers have moved 27,000 cubic meters of sand to a depth of 18 meters, and work will continue around the clock depending on wind conditions and tides, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said. Two more powerful tugs are expected to arrive by Monday.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ordered to prepare for the possible removal of some of the 18.3 thousand containers from the ship, said SCA head Osama Rabia.
An SCA source said any offloading operation on the ship will not start until Monday as rescue teams try to take advantage of the tide.
The 400-meter long Ever Given stuck diagonally in the southern section of the canal on 23 March, stopping ship traffic on one of the world’s busiest waterways.
At least 369 ships are waiting to pass through the canal, including dozens of container ships, bulk carriers, oil tankers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships, Rabia said.
Discounts could be offered to shippers affected by the blockage, Rabia said, adding that he believes the investigation will show the canal was not responsible for the grounded Ever Given, one of the largest container ships in the world.
Rescuers from SCA and a team from Dutch firm Smit Salvage evaluated how much bollard pull they could use on the vessel without risking damage, and whether any cargo would need to be removed with a crane in order to put it back on the water.
However, two SCA sources told Reuters that a mass of rock was found in the bow of the ship, making rescue efforts difficult.
It is still unclear from the dredging performed if the ship is stuck in soft sand, dense sand or clay, which will determine how easily it can free itself.
About 15% of the world’s shipping passes through the Suez Canal, which is Egypt’s main source of foreign exchange earnings. The current stop costs the channel $ 14-15 million per day.
Petroleum product tanker tariffs nearly doubled after the ship got stuck and the blockage disrupted global supply chains, threatening costly delays for companies already dealing with COVID-19 restrictions.
If the blockage drags on, shippers could decide to reroute their cargo around the Cape of Good Hope, adding about two weeks to the journey and additional fuel costs.
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