DFDS scraps vessel that ran aground
Af Benita Dreyer-Andersen
'Finlandia Seaways' is history in DFDS
The ship has just been sold for scrapping and is now in the hands of the scrapping company Smedegaarden A/S in Esbjerg.
This is confirmed by Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS.
The vessel ran aground in Norway in December 2024, and as a result, it was declared a total loss by the insurance company.
Torben Carlsen states that the scrapping is happening under unfortunate circumstances.
Smedegaarden reports that the vessel measures 162 meters in length and approximately 20 meters in width, with a LDT of 5,772 tons.
The vessel is equipped with a B&W 12V48/60 main engine delivering 17,300 HP, as well as 2 x Mitsubishi S6R2 generator sets, among many other components.
Towed into port
'Finlandia Seaways' ran aground in Norway’s Karmsundet, north of Stavanger, on the evening of December 5.
The ship was en route to Poland carrying military equipment intended to help secure Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport near the Ukrainian border.
This was reported by NRK.
There were 23 people on board when the ship ran aground. None of them were injured, and the captain declined the offer to evacuate the crew.
However, the rudder and propellers sustained extensive damage, and the ship had to be assisted into the port of Husøya by tugboats.
'Finlandia Seaways' was transporting equipment as part of an agreement with the Norwegian armed forces. Torben Carlsen states that DFDS has maintained this agreement and deployed another vessel for the task.
Struck by mishaps
This is not the first time 'Finlandia Seaways' has been hit by an accident.
In April 2018, a fire broke out in the engine room, forcing the ship out of service until November.
The fire started on April 17 between Zeebrugge, Belgium, and Rosyth, Scotland, but was quickly brought under control. One crew member was injured and had to be evacuated to the nearest hospital.
'Finlandia Seaways' was towed to Immingham, where its cargo of trailers was unloaded. In May, the ship—still under tow—arrived at Fayard, where, among other repairs, a main engine was replaced.
