Maersk pauses all transits through Red Sea until further notice 

Shipping firm A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) on Tuesday (2 January) said it has decided to pause all transits through the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden until further notice.

The move came following an attack on its container ship Maersk Hangzhou on 30 December. 

“An investigation into the incident is ongoing and we will continue to pause all cargo movement through the area while we further assess the constantly evolving situation,” it said its latest advisory. 

“In cases where it makes most sense for our customers, vessels will be rerouted and continue their journey around the Cape of Good Hope. The latest information is available on our diversion and contingency plans page.”

According to media reports, US military said US Navy helicopters sank three of four small boats used by Iranian-backed Houthi militants to attack Maersk Hangzhou in the southern Red Sea.

Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely, which responded to distress calls from Maersk Hangzhou, returned fire on the Houthi boats in self-defence and sank three of the vessels with no survivors, US Central Command (Centcom) reportedly said.

Maersk confirmed that the crew onboard the ship had reported a flash on deck on Dec 30 at around 7.30pm local time, when the vessel was 101km southwest of Al Hodeidah.

Manifold Times reported Arne Lohmann Rasmussen from Global Risk Management stating the demand for bunker fuels will increase due to longer voyages and possible higher speed of sailing following the Red Sea crisis.

“Our sourcing operation already reports rising demand in African ports, whereas the operations in ARA and Asia seem less impacted,” he said in a social media post while presenting a chart deck he used for a weekly internal meeting with Bunker Holding Group. 

Meanwhile, CPG Bunkering, a subsidiary of Civitas Partners Group, an investment and private project development group operating in Southern Africa since 2012 noted a new increase in bunker fuel demand at the ports of Nacala and Maputo following the Red Sea crisis.

Related: CPG Bunkering: New increase in bunker fuel demand at Nacala and Maputo following Red Sea crisis
Related: Global Risk Management on Red Sea crisis: Demand for bunker fuels will increase due to longer voyages
Related: MBC: Algoa Bay unable to capture bunkering opportunities from Red Sea crisis

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Pinko Palinko
Published: 3 January, 2024