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Disabled Eimskip Vessel to be Towed to Port by Iceland’s Coast Guard

containership
Dettifoss is drifting in the Atlantic off Iceland waiting for a tow to port (Eimskip)

Published Jul 10, 2025 3:15 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Icelandic shipping company Eimskip confirmed that one of its newest and largest containerships, Dettifoss (25,690 dwt), is currently disabled and drifting in the Atlantic. The Iceland Coast Guard vessel Freyja has been dispatched and is expected to reach the ship overnight on July 11 to begin the tow back to Reykjavik.

Eimskip reports the vessel experienced a main engine failure on July 9 while it was approximately 390 miles southwest of Iceland bound for Nuuk, Greenland. The company said the crew and the vessel are in no immediate danger as the weather is calm in the area.

Dettifoss was built in China and delivered in 2020. It is considered to be one of the company’s most advanced ships, designed Eimskip said with good maneuverability and well equipped to sail in the North Atlantic. The ship, which is 180 meters (590 feet) in length with a capacity of 2,150 TEU, is ice class and designed in accordance with the Polar Code, which is mandatory for sailing in the ocean around Greenland. When the ship was delivered, the company said it had a 17,000 kW (23,000 hp) main engine, which is Tier III compliant. It was especially built to lower NOx (Nitrogen Oxide) emissions and has a scrubber system to reduce SOx (Sulfur Oxide) emissions.

The ship is deployed in a joint service with Greenland’s shipping company Royal Arctic Line, sailing between Aarhus and Helsingborg in Denmark, Bremerhaven, Germany, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland. It is registered in the Faroe Islands. 

Freyja is no stranger to ocean rescues of commercial ships. Last year, it went to the aid of another containership that had blacked out and was drifting toward shore, while in 2023 it assisted a small cargo ship, Wilson Skaw (6,460 dwt), which had grounded northwest of Iceland in rough weather. In 2022, it responded to reports of an explosion and fire aboard the EF Ava (8,168 dwt), which was operating under charter to Eimskip. The Lagarfoss (11,800 dwt), also operated by Eimskip, reported in 2020 that its main engine had malfunctioned, requiring the Freyja to tow the ship back to port in heavy winter weather.

Dettifoss will be towed to Reykjavik for repairs. Eimskip reports the ship is expected to resume its scheduled service next week.