Australia Places a 180 Days Ban on Chinese LNG Carrier

The Australian Maritime Safety Agency (AMSA) imposed a 180-days ban on the Chinese-flagged LNG carrier, “CESI QINGDAO,” following a breakdown of the vessel that caused a blockage in one of Australia’s primary LNG export terminals

Scheduled to last until June 2024, this ban was a response to an incident where the CESI QINGDAO, a regular visitor to the terminal, suffered a power failure on November 21st becoming lodged at the export terminal and blocking entry to other vessels. This resulted in substantial losses for Origin Energy, the terminal’s operating energy provider. Origin Energy reported a reduction in production due to the accumulation of a backlog from missing several LNG shipments, ultimately leading to a delay in three shipments.

AMSA declared the vessel “unseaworthy” when discussing the incident with the Australian media.

AMSA collaborated with the vessel’s master and operator, and supervised significant repairs on the ship. These repairs focused on four generators, one of which underwent a complete rebuild under the engine manufacturer’s supervision.

Following the incident, Australian regulators towed the ship out of the terminal and relocated it to anchorage for repairs. The vessel remained anchored for an additional three weeks undergoing repairs, before being towed back to China, where the ship is due to arrive on January 12th.

While AMSA has imposed nine bans in 2023, this ban stands out for its extended duration. AMSA attributed the severity of this action to “the response of the ship’s master and the operator during the repair process”.