Damaged Tanker Heads To Port Of Great Yarmouth After Deadly North Sea Collision

The damaged oil tanker Stena Immaculate has finally started its journey to the Port of Great Yarmouth, more than a month after a serious collision with the containership Solong in the North Sea.

The tanker had been anchored approximately 12 to 14 nautical miles off the coast of East Yorkshire when the incident occurred on March 10, 2025.

The Solong, a Portuguese-flagged feeder ship, was sailing south at 16 knots in patchy visibility when it struck the port side of the anchored Stena Immaculate.

The impact damaged two of the tanker’s cargo tanks, ignited the aviation fuel on board, and caused major fires on both ships. The fire also spread to the container area of Solong.

According to the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), there was no dedicated lookout on either ship at the time.

The second officer of Stena Immaculate had taken over anchor watch shortly before midnight, while Solong’s captain returned to the bridge at 7 am and was alone on watch when the collision happened at 9:47 am.

An able seaman named Mark Pernia aboard the Solong, who was in the forecastle area, was reported missing and is presumed dead.

Video Credits: The Manila Times/YouTube

A total of 36 crew members were rescued from both ships. The captain of Solong, 59-year-old Vladimir Motin of St Petersburg, Russia, has been arrested and is facing a charge of gross negligence manslaughter.

His trial is scheduled for January 2026.

After the incident, salvage operations were launched immediately. Salvors managed to stabilise Stena Immaculate and conducted a ship-to-ship transfer (STS) operation with the oil tanker Fure Vyl.

Over 220,000 barrels of jet fuel were safely transferred to the Fure Vyl, which later delivered the cargo to Killingholme, UK.

The maritime company Crowley, which operates Stena Immaculate under charter by the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command, confirmed that the lightering process was safely completed.

The vessel is now under tow and is expected to reach a lay berth at the Port of Great Yarmouth by the end of the week.

The port destination was shifted from Newcastle upon Tyne to Great Yarmouth after technical assessments. The tanker will be inspected and temporarily repaired at the lay berth while awaiting a decision on its final repair location.

Meanwhile, Solong was towed to Aberdeen late last month and remains docked there for ongoing salvage operations.

After the collision, containers on Solong carrying pelletised plastic, commonly known as nurdles, were damaged, releasing large quantities of the material into the sea.

These plastic pellets have since been washing up along the beaches of Norfolk and Lincolnshire. Though not toxic, environmental groups warn that nurdles pose a threat to wildlife if ingested.

HM Coastguard has been working closely with local authorities to manage the environmental response.

According to Chief Coast Guard Paddy O’Callaghan, the cleanup operation has now transitioned from a proactive to a reactive phase, but they continue to monitor the situation closely.

The agency has also urged the public to report any sightings of nurdles through their online portal. Multiple legal claims have already been filed.

Reference: bordertelegraph

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