Suez Canal Authority Tows Disabled Tanker Alyssum to Port Said

Suez Canal Authority Tows Disabled Tanker Alyssum to Port Said

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has successfully towed the 23,000-ton tanker Alyssum to the Port Said anchorage area following a total main engine failure off the coast of El Alamein. The operation, which spanned 180 nautical miles, was completed by the SCA’s salvage tug Mohamed Beshir after a request from Sphinx Shipping Agency.

SCA chairman Admiral Ossama Rabiee confirmed the vessel is now positioned for necessary maintenance and repairs. The Alyssum measures 182.5 meters in length and 43.5 meters in width, with a draft of 11.2 feet.

Why it matters

This operation signals a shift in the SCA’s operational scope, moving beyond its traditional role as a canal transit administrator to a regional provider of commercial salvage and emergency support. By deploying its specialized fleet, including the newly acquired 2,200-ton capacity CC floating crane, the authority is positioning its salvage services as a viable alternative for vessels operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.

For shipowners and charterers, the SCA’s expanding portfolio of services—ranging from oil spill control to marine ambulance and repair—offers a centralized, state-backed option for emergency response in a busy maritime corridor. The authority’s ability to execute a 180-nautical-mile tow in what it describes as record time suggests that vessel operators in the region now have a high-capacity, government-managed resource for unplanned technical failures outside of the canal waterway itself.

What to watch

The focus now shifts to the duration of the repairs at the Port Said anchorage and whether the SCA will continue to aggressively market its salvage and maintenance services to third-party commercial vessels operating outside the canal transit zone.

Source: Shipping Telegraph