At anchor: Chinese cargo ship damaged pipeline in the Baltic Sea

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Damage to a gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland was probably caused by the anchor of a Chinese cargo ship, according to Finnish authorities. Risto Loh of the Finnish police said at a press conference on Tuesday that a six-ton ​​anchor had been recovered from the sea in the morning.

Police also released photos of suspected drag marks from the anchor on the seabed. According to the information, the dragging anchor probably collided with the Balticconnector pipeline in the Baltic Sea and was torn off by the cargo ship “Newnew Polar Bear”.

The police cannot investigate the freighter

The Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship was apparently passing through the area at the time of the incident, Lohi said. Police attempted to contact the ship’s captain but received no response. Also, police could not investigate the cargo ship because it is now in Russian waters.

However, Lohi said there were reports of sightings that the anchor on the left bow of the “Newnew Polar Bear” appeared to be missing. The police representative did not want to speculate whether it was an accident or sabotage.

Freighter movements correspond to accidents

The Finnish researchers had already linked the ‘Newnew Polar Bear’ to the incident on Friday. “The movements of the Hong Kong-flagged vessel Newnew Polar Bear coincide with the time and location of damage to the gas pipeline,” they said. Accordingly, a “recently formed large lump of earth was found on the seabed, probably containing an extremely heavy object.”

The Balticconnector pipeline between Finland and Estonia was closed on October 8 due to a pressure drop. According to the operator, repairs to the pipeline will take at least five months. The pipeline went into service in 2019 and is the only line through which Finland has been able to import gas since natural gas imports from Russia were halted in May 2022 due to the war in Ukraine.

The damage to the pipeline brings back memories of the damage to the Nord Stream 1 and 2 natural gas pipelines during a series of underwater explosions in September 2022. Investigations into the matter have been launched in Germany, Sweden and Denmark, none of which have been carried out. still completed. (AFP)

Source: Blick