Suez Canal Authority announces the success of towing the Greek oil tanker "Sunion" that was attacked by the Houthis months ago

The Egyptian Suez Canal Authority announced that the Greek oil tanker "Sunion", registered in Greece, which was attacked last year by the Houthis in the Red Sea west of Yemen, was successfully towed.

The head of the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Rabie, said on Monday: “The operation to tow the oil tanker ( SOUNION ) was successful, using four tugs belonging to the authority, on its journey through the canal as part of the southern convoy coming from the Red Sea and heading to Greece.”

Rabie added that the preparations for the towing operation required complex procedures over several months to unload the tanker’s cargo of 150,000 tons of crude oil before allowing it to cross the canal, due to “the dangerous situation of the tanker after it was attacked in the Red Sea last August, which resulted in a massive fire that disrupted the control and monitoring equipment, making it difficult to sail, and increasing the risks of pollution, oil spillage or explosion.”

Rabie explained that the process of unloading the cargo in the Suez Canal area was subject to complex procedures carried out by the two rescue companies ( AMBERY ) and ( MEGA TUGS ) appointed by the tanker owners, which worked through a joint plan in cooperation with the Authority’s marine rescue team, to unload the cargo onto another similar tanker according to precise rates and calculations to prevent any damage or division in the tanker’s hull.

Lieutenant General Rabie stated that the tanker " SOUNION " crossed the canal, towed by the accompanying rescue tug AIGAION PELAGOS , and was guided by the tug "Baraka", the largest tug of the Authority, with a pulling force of 160 tons, and secured by three other tugboats belonging to the Authority.

The Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority pointed out that the towing process took approximately 24 hours with the participation of 13 guides, and was carried out in several stages, including waiting periods and changing guides. The tanker was towed from the Suez Dock on Saturday evening, arriving at the waiting area in the Great Bitter Lakes, then completing the towing process to the Balah area, then towing the tanker to Port Said, with close monitoring from the Navigation Control Center and the guidance stations located along the canal.