AmericasOperations
TOTE delays LNG retrofit in wake of El Faro disaster
The demise of the El Faro has forced US shipowner TOTE to shuffle its fleet priorities. A ship that was planned to go for a retrofit to use LNG as a fuel has been drafted into work as the line deals with having one less ship.
The Midnight Sun had been scheduled to head to Singapore for a four-month conversion to LNG. This retrofit is now on hold for a year with TOTE negotiating with the US Coast Guard to keep trading with the Midnight Sun as is, despite new ECA regulations in place.
The US Navy, meanwhile, has located the remains of El Faro in 15,000 ft of water east of the Bahamas. The ship sank on October 1 as a hurricane lashed the region with the loss of all 33 crewmembers.