Stena Immaculate to be towed to Great Yarmouth a month after North Sea crash

The Stena Immaculate will be towed to the Port of Great Yarmouth later this week, a month after it was struck while at anchor in the North Sea by the container ship Solong.

The US tanker has been undergoing salvage operations since the incident on March 10, about 12 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire.

In a statement, chief coastguard Paddy O’Callaghan said: “The transfer of cargo from the STENA IMMACULATE to the FURE VYL has been successfully completed.

“Preparations are now ongoing to prepare the vessel to enter the Port of Great Yarmouth safely under tow, later this week.”

The Portuguese-owned Solong was towed to Aberdeen late last month.

The collision caused jet fuel being carried by the tanker to ignite, resulting in large fires on both vessels.

A total of 36 people were rescued from the ships with Filipino national Mark Pernia missing, presumed dead.

Following the collision, thousands of plastic pellets used in plastics production, known as nurdles, were released from ruptured containers on Solong and began washing up on beaches on the Norfolk coast.

According to conservationists, the nurdles are not toxic but can harm animals if ingested.

Mr O’Callaghan said the clean-up operation had moved to a “reactive” phase.

“HM Coastguard continues to support local authorities in their response to onshore pollution from the SOLONG as a result of the collision, including plastic nurdles, in both Norfolk and Lincolnshire,” he said.

“The clean-up operation has now moved from a proactive to reactive response. HM Coastguard will continue to keep the overall situation under close review.”

Crowley, the maritime company managing Stena Immaculate, said in a statement “cargo lightering” of the tanker had been completed, adding: “All remaining jet fuel was safely transferred to the tanker Fure Vyl. The cargo fuel is being delivered to its original destination of Killingholme, U.K.”

The statement continued: “After a final assessment by salvage experts, the Stena Immaculate will be towed to a lay berth at the Port of Great Yarmouth, U.K., with arrival expected later this week.

“The vessel will then be inspected, undergo temporary repairs and is expected to remain there pending its final repair destination, which has yet to be determined.

“The tow and lay berth destination was updated after further planning and analysis from Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K., to best accommodate the vessel’s draft specifications.

“We appreciate the Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP), our U.K. port and maritime partners’ support in this process.

“We continue to work with the appropriate authorities and remain committed to concluding the remaining salvage operations with the highest possible regard for safety.”

A preliminary report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said there was no “dedicated lookout” on either of the vessels.

It stated that Stena Immaculate’s second officer took over “anchor watch” for a 12-hour duty period shortly before midnight, while Solong’s master returned to the bridge at 7am and was the “lone watchkeeper”.

The crash happened at 9.47am.

A watchkeeper is responsible for the safe navigation of a vessel whereas the role of lookout is to continuously watch the sea.

The MAIB described visibility in the area as “patchy”.

Multiple legal claims have been filed over the incident.

Solong’s captain, Vladimir Motin, 59, of St Petersburg, Russia, is due to stand trial in January 2026 charged with gross negligence manslaughter.