An Eimskip-operated feeder vessel is under investigation after a “thin oil slick” was found off the coast of Iceland.
The 1,678-teu Vera D (built 2004), chartered from Germany’s Peter Dohle Schiffahrts, grounded briefly at Akurey at around 1500 hours local time on Tuesday, the Icelandic Coast Guard said.
But the company denied there had been a leak.
An Eimskip spokeswoman told TradeWinds: “The vessel hit the seabed while sailing into Reykjavik, close to Akurey.”
“The vessel is now being inspected at Sundahofn terminal to assess possible damage. Oil was not released,” she added.
The ship was en route from Reykjavik, where it had arrived on Monday after leaving Rotterdam on 7 September.
The command centre of the coastguard had been alerted, as it was “suspected that pollution was coming from the ship”, the statement said.
The coastguard’s special operations team on the patrol boat Odinn was called out to investigate the situation.
The helicopter squadron was also scrambled to assess the situation from the air.
A photo posted to Facebook by the coastguard shows a slick on the water in the area.
The authorities decided that the ship should return to Reykjavik, where an anti-pollution boom was placed around it by the capital’s fire brigade and the coastguard’s special operations team.
The country’s environmental agency has been alerted and the investigation into the circumstances of the incident is in the hands of the transport accident investigation committee.
Eimskip has been contacted for more information.
Detained in 2020
The Madeira-flagged vessel is the former Maersk Vera Cruz.
Its last port state control detention was in Reykjavik in 2020.
The unit was held with one fault: hull damage impairing seaworthiness.
Insurance cover is provided by the UK P&I Club.
AIS data showed the vessel still moored in the port on Tuesday morning.
