Australia Bans Chinese LNG Carrier For 180 Days After LNG Terminal Blockage

The China-flagged LNG carrier dubbed the “CESI QINGDAO” was banned for 180 days by the Australian Maritime Safety Agency (abbreviated AMSA) after a malfunction on board the ship created a blockage at one of Australia’s main LNG export facilities.

This prohibition, which is set to expire in June 2024, was put in place in reaction to an incident on November 21 in which the ship CESI QINGDAO, a frequent visitor to the terminal, experienced a power outage and lodged at the export terminal, preventing other vessels from entering.

Origin Energy, the energy supplier that operates the terminal, suffered significant losses. Origin Energy announced a decrease in output due to three LNG cargoes being delayed due to a backlog created by missing multiple shipments. The AMSA deemed the ship to be “unseaworthy” when addressing the matter with Australian media.

Along with working with the ship’s operator and master, AMSA oversaw essential repairs. Four generators were the subject of these repairs, one of which had a complete rebuild under the manufacturer’s supervision.

After the incident, Australian regulators reportedly sent the vessel to an anchorage for repairs after towing it out of the terminal. After it was anchored for three additional weeks to execute the repairs, the ship was towed to China, which is scheduled to arrive on January 12.

Although the AMSA placed nine bans in 2023, this particular one is notable for its lengthier ban. AMSA attributed the severity of the incident to the response of the operator and the ship’s master during the repair process.

Reference: Fleetmon

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