The Ever Given: The Ship That Blockaded the Suez Canal

The Ever Given is a 400-meter-long (1,300 ft) container ship that was en route from China to Rotterdam when it got stuck in the Suez Canal on March 23, 2021. The ship was carrying over 20,000 containers, and its grounding blocked the canal for six days, causing a major disruption to global shipping.

The impact of the Ever Given’s grounding was significant. The canal is a vital shipping route, and its closure disrupted the flow of goods around the world. The blockage was estimated to cost the global economy $9.6 billion per day, and it also led to shortages of some goods, such as food and medical supplies.

The grounding of the Ever Given was a complex event, and there is still some debate about what caused it. The ship’s owner, Evergreen Marine, initially blamed the wind for causing the ship to lose control, but other factors may have also been involved, such as human error or technical problems.

After six days of efforts, the Ever Given was finally refloated on March 29, 2021. The ship was freed using a combination of tugboats, dredging, and high tide. The incident highlighted the vulnerability of the Suez Canal to disruptions, and it raised questions about the safety of large container ships.

The Ever Given’s grounding was a major event that had a significant impact on global shipping. The incident highlighted the importance of the Suez Canal and the need to take steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Here are some of the measures that have been taken to prevent future blockages of the Suez Canal:

• The canal authority has increased the number of tugboats that are available to help ships navigate the canal.
• The authority has also installed new radar systems to help monitor the movement of ships.
• In addition, the authority is working on widening and deepening the canal to make it easier for ships to pass through.

These measures are being taken to ensure that the Suez Canal remains open and operational, and to prevent another major disruption to global shipping.

The company that helped to release the Ever Given was Smit Salvage, a Dutch company that specializes in maritime salvage and marine services. Smit Salvage used a combination of tugboats, dredging, and high tide to free the ship.