According to foreign media Flows.be, the Liberia-flagged car carrier “JISU FORTUNE” collided with a lock gate at the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium on September 24. The ship collided with the Pierre Vandamme lock while maneuvering to depart the port.
Although the accident did not cause any injuries, both the ship’s hull and the lock gate were damaged, temporarily closing the shipping channel to the inner port of Zeebrugge and significantly impacting the port’s automotive logistics operations.
Reportedly, the “JISU FORTUNE” was built by CIMC Raffles Longkou base and delivered this year. It is a 7,000 CEU (car equivalent unit) Pure Car and Truck Carrier (PCTC).
The ship has an overall length of 200 meters, a beam of 38.03 meters, and a gross tonnage of approximately 69,250 tons. It is equipped with an LNG dual-fuel main engine and twin 2,000 cubic meter Type C tanks. It can transport gasoline vehicles, lithium-electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and natural gas vehicles, particularly meeting the special requirements for new energy vehicle exports. The registered shipowner is Zodiac Maritime Ltd., and it is operated by Jisu Logistics under Geely Holding Group through a long-term leasing model.
In May of this year, the “JISU FORTUNE” completed its naming and maiden voyage ceremony at Taicang Port in Jiangsu Province. It loaded over 5,000 domestic vehicles bound for the UK, the Netherlands, and Belgium, becoming Geely Auto’s first truly self-operated ship. According to the original plan, the ship was scheduled to proceed to the port of Casablanca, Morocco after operations in Zeebrugge, but the voyage is currently forced to be delayed due to the accident.
The incident occurred as the “JISU FORTUNE” was preparing to leave the port of Zeebrugge. While maneuvering into the Vandamme lock, a sudden strong wind caused the ship to lose control, ultimately resulting in a collision with the lock gate.
Following the collision, both the ship and the lock gate facilities sustained damage, preventing vessel traffic from entering or leaving the inner port for several hours. As the lock gate is a crucial passage connecting the outer port and the back port of Zeebrugge, the accident temporarily prevented other ships from smoothly entering or leaving the back port, forcing an interruption of traffic in the port area.
Foreign media reported that preliminary investigations indicate a sudden strong wind (felle windstoot) was the direct cause of the ship losing control. The weather changed abruptly on the day of the incident, with excessively strong winds exceeding the control threshold for ships operating in narrow channels and locks. Subsequently, the Belgian port authorities immediately initiated an emergency response, blocking the passage and arranging personnel to inspect the damage to the lock gate. Traffic inside and outside the port gradually resumed over the following hours, although the damaged section of the lock still requires further assessment and repair.
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