After being stuck in the Suez Canal for over three months, the containership Ever Given finally left Egyptian waters today at 4 a.m. (local time) following inspections at Port Said, Reuters reported citing a canal source.
The 20,000 TEU containership has resumed its voyage to Rotterdam after receiving the official approval to depart the canal from the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).
The giant containership reportedly underwent a safety inspection at the Port of Said, situated at the northern end of the Suez Canal, before heading towards its next destination.
Reuters also revealed earlier that Ever Given would be escorted by two tugboats and guided by two experienced pilots, citing canal sources.
According to Marine Traffic data, the ship is currently located in the Mediterranean Sea north of the Egyptian coast.
The estimated time of arrival is 12 days, data shows.
The SCA and the owners of Ever Given have reached the compensation deal last month; however, final details on the settlement amount have not been disclosed.
Initially, the Suez Canal Authority sought compensation worth $916 million, which the owners turned down as too high. Subsequently, the claim was reduced to $550 million.
The money is intended to cover the costs incurred by the salvage operation, as well as losses resulting from the canal’s six-day blockage.
The Panama-flagged containership is owned by Japanese company Shoei Kisen Kaisha and was chartered by Taiwanese Evergreen Marine Corporation when it got grounded on 23 March , blocking the waterway for six days and causing a massive gridlock for the global trade.