Shipping Telegraph Adrift container ship repaired after engine failure en route Greenland

The Reykjavík-headquartered shipowner Eimskip says repairs have been successfully carried out on a Faroe Islands-flagged container ship after experiencing a failure in the main engine on July 9.

“Repairs on the main engine of the cargo vessel Dettifoss went very well and have now been completed. The vessel was restarted and tested yesterday, with everything proceeding according to plan. Loading took place yesterday evening in preparation for continued sailing,” Eimskip said on Thursday, July 17 in an update.

The incident occurred on July 9, while the 2020-built Dettifoss was en route from Reykjavík to Nuuk, Greenland. At the time of the breakdown, the vessel was approximately 390 miles southwest of Iceland. “The vessel is adrift 390 miles southwest of Iceland on her way from Reykjavík to Nuuk in Greenland.”

According to Eimskip, weather conditions in the area were calm, and there was no immediate danger to the crew or the vessel. The Icelandic Coast Guard dispatched its vessel Freyja to provide assistance. “Once the vessel arrives in Reykjavík, repairs are expected to be completed promptly,” the shipowner said on July 9.

Eimskip stated that the vessel was carrying cargo bound for Greenland, and customers are being informed of the situation.

As it is reported, Dettifoss is expected to continue its route to the Faroe Islands. In its latest update, dated July 17, the company said: “The vessel is scheduled to resume its route around noon today, Thursday. It is expected to arrive in port at Reyðarfjörður on Friday and continue from there to the Faroe Islands. The delay amounts to just under 24 hours, but no further delays are expected. The vessel is expected to make up most of the lost time on the outbound leg and return to schedule for the homeward journey.”

Eimskip is a transportation company in the North Atlantic providing container and reefer liner services with connections to international markets and is specialized in worldwide freight forwarding services with focus on frozen and chilled commodities.