Fire Casualty Stena Immaculate to Depart UK Port

After spending approximately five months docked in Great Yarmouth, the US-flagged tanker Stena Immaculate is leaving the port, although her fate remains uncertain. The vessel was hit by the Portuguese-registered containership Solong in March while it was anchored off the UK coast, transporting over 220,000 barrels of jet fuel for the U.S. 

The 49,729 dwt tanker burned for days along with the containership off the coast, with one seafarer from the containership missing and presumed to have died in the collision. One of the tanker's tanks ruptured and spilled oil, but operator Crowley and Stena Bulk hailed the crew, which quickly responded and started the fire suppression systems before abandoning ship. The companies later hired another tanker and were able to transfer most of the fuel from the Stena Immaculate.

The ship was brought to the outer Great Yarmouth harbor, where further salvage operations were undertaken after the ship was surveyed. According to port records seen by the Great Yarmouth Mercury newspaper, the ship had been expected to be towed from the dock on Wednesday, September 24. The operation is currently delayed, with the port saying they expect the tanker will depart on Friday, September 26. The port logs show it is first to be towed approximately 10 miles north to a point near Winterton-on-Sea.

The Solong had initially been towed to Aberdeen in Scotland, where it was cleaned and cleared of debris. It was sold and towed to Belgium for recycling in August.

The incident remains under investigation, while the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Bureau issued a preliminary update in April highlighting the lack of a lookout aboard the containership despite patchy fog in the area. The master was alone on the bridge, navigating the vessel, which was traveling at approximately 16 knots, when it hit the Stena tanker. The UK authority said that as part of its investigation, it would be reviewing the anchorage and policies for the area.

The master of Solong was arrested and has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter for the death of the crewmember on his ship. The master has pleaded not guilty but remains in custody in the UK. He was last in court on September 10, where his custody was extended. There are further hearings expected in November, followed by his trial in January 2026.

Crowley announced in August that the Stena Immaculate had been replaced by the charter of the CS Anthem for the U.S. Tanker Security Program.