[Global Issue+] Prolonged Suez Canal Blockage... Will the 'Suezmax' Large Vessel Standard Change?

Dimensions and Weight Standards for Passing the Suez Canal
Attention on Possible Change to Suezmax Due to Unexpected Major Accident

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the Suez Canal blockage situation prolongs, even the U.S. Navy stationed in the Middle East is being deployed. Until now, the Egyptian authorities, who have experienced several blockages of the Suez Canal due to traffic accidents or wars, are struggling to handle the current situation where the largest-ever ship is blocking the canal horizontally. This unprecedented incident has made it difficult to resolve the accident. Consequently, there is growing interest in whether this will affect the 'Suez-max' standard, which has been applied to shipbuilding based on the canal's passability. Since the exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined, there are concerns that the regulations for ships allowed to pass through the canal may become stricter depending on the responsibility identified in future investigations.

Prolonging 'Arteriosclerosis' of the Suez Canal

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

According to foreign media such as CNN, on the 27th (local time), U.S. Navy dredging experts stationed in the Middle East are expected to be deployed to the grounding site of the ultra-large container ship Ever Given, which is blocking the Suez Canal. The U.S. government decided to dispatch experts to discuss ways to salvage the ship following a request for assistance from the Egyptian government. This is because the blockage of the Suez Canal, which handles over 30% of global cargo volume, has raised concerns about a logistics crisis.

The Egyptian Suez Canal Authority (SCA), which has handled several accidents in the past, is also struggling to resolve this incident. Osama Rabie, head of the SCA, explained at a press conference that "until the day before, dredgers were used to remove about 20,000 cubic meters of sand and soil from the canal embankment where the bow was stuck," and "a total of 14 tugboats are being deployed for the operation."

Nevertheless, the grounded ship is hardly moving. The Ever Given involved in this accident is more than twice the size of any ship involved in previous Suez Canal incidents, leading to criticisms that the SCA's equipment and capabilities have reached their limits.

Even U.S. Aircraft Carriers Passed... Controversy Over 'Suez-max' Large Ship Standards

The US Navy CV-59 Forrestal aircraft carrier passing through the Suez Canal
[Image source=US Navy]

There are concerns that this accident may spark controversy over whether the so-called 'Suez-max,' the standard used when constructing large ships, is appropriate. 'Suez-max' refers to the maximum size of a ship that can pass through the Suez Canal and is a classification used for large cargo ships or oil tankers. Typically, Suez-max ships have a maximum width of about 64 meters and weigh approximately 130,000 to 200,000 tons.

Other classifications include 'Handy-size,' which can easily enter all ports; 'Panamax,' which can pass through the narrower Panama Canal; and 'Cape-size,' which cannot pass through the Suez Canal and must use the South African detour route. The Ever Given, which ran aground this time, is known to have a total weight including container cargo of about 220,000 tons, making it the largest cargo ship within the Suez-max specifications.

Since the exact cause of the accident has not yet been determined, it is expected that stronger regulations may be imposed on ships entering the Suez Canal depending on the identified cause. According to CNBC, the causes suggested so far include strong winds reaching speeds of 50 meters per second around the Suez Canal area, mistakes or lack of skill by the captain and crew, and maintenance issues before departure. Given the large number of ships affected by delivery delays, there are concerns that a massive legal battle will follow the accident resolution.