Dirty Coal Spill

From: 350.org ---- Dirty Coal should stay in the ground!

Capesize coal shipment set for China sinks off South Africa's Richards Bay

London (Platts)--20Aug2013/1035 am EDT/1435 GMT

A Capesize ship carrying coal from Richards Bay Coal Terminal to China's Fangcheng port has run aground and partially sunk off South Africa's west coast while exiting the port due to adverse weather conditions and rough seas.

South Africa's National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said in a statement that the coal bulk cargo ship, the MV Smart, had been pushed into a shallow sand bank adjacent to RBCT's exit channel by 10 meter swells while heading out to sea Monday afternoon.

Transnet National Port Authority also said in a statement that the vessel had experienced engine failure on leaving the port due to the adverse conditions, while no longer under TNPA pilotage.

The TNPA had said late Monday that traffic from the 91 million mt/year RBCT was temporarily suspended until further notice due to the adverse weather conditions, but a spokesman told Platts Tuesday afternoon that the terminal was open and operating as normal.

Market sources said that the ship had been chartered by Chinese trader Minmetals and was carrying 5,500 kcal/kg NAR South African thermal coal bought from a Swiss trading house. Fangcheng is a key facility in southern China for imports from South Africa and Australia.

Both the TNPA and NSRI and said that three tug boats attempted to pull the vessel, containing 147,650 mt of coal, free from the bank. However, the vessel buckled and broke in two later in the afternoon, with the 23-member crew having to be airlifted to land after the vessel became partly submerged.

The ship remains stranded off the channel, with the port authority noting that it was closely monitoring the environmental impact of the incident.

The NSRI said that the South African Maritime Safety Authority would investigate and evaluate the situation

http://www.platts.com/latest-news/coal/london/capesize-coal-shipment-set-for-china-sinks-off-26198789