MSC is temporarily omitting calls at Sines Container Terminal in Portugal

MSC is temporarily omitting calls at Sines Container Terminal in Portugal for certain services and is finding alternative arrangements until normal operations resume, hopefully in the coming days. MSC SANDRA, operating on the Turkey-Canada Service, called at Sines on 4 April and remains berthed there following an incident involving a spill of fuel oil during bunkering operations.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company informs customers that decisions were made for the following vessels to omit calls at Sines:

MSC LUCIANA, voyage IS911R, Himalaya Express service
MSC CANDICE, voyage NZ912A, NWC to South Africa service
MAJESTIC MAERSK, voyage 910W, Silk service
MSC RITA, voyage ME912W, MEDUSEC service
MSC SAO PAULO, voyage NC913R, Aegean service
MSC VITTORIA, voyage MF911E, MEDGULF service
MSC ELA, voyage CK914R, Turkey-Canada service

Contingency arrangements have been put in place to ensure cargo on these vessel reaches its destination as soon as possible. These arrangements include alternative port calls and alternative loading and discharge operations.

Additional vessels might also have to omit the Sines call in the next few days, and we will keep you updated accordingly.

MSC expects to resume normal service calling at Sines again in the coming days.

MSC SANDRA incident

The omissions follow an incident in Sines harbour, which took place late on 4 April, while MSC SANDRA was refueling.

The incident was categorized as a local port matter for small spills with little or no pollution. It was quickly reported to relevant authorities and responders have been using a variety of methods to clean the hull of the ship and waters immediately around the ship in order to minimize any environmental impact.

MSC SANDRA will remain berthed in Sines until the operation is completed. MSC has organized an extra vessel, MV DEMETER, to take cargo which was onboard MSC SANDRA around the time of the incident from Sines to Liverpool.