- One year after the fire: Car freight can leave the Netherlands
A year after the devastating fire on the car carrier "Fremantle Highway" off the North Sea coast, the ship is finally allowed to leave the Netherlands. The authorities have granted an export permit, the current owner, salvage company KMS, announced in Rotterdam. KMS had purchased the freighter after the fire and already found a new buyer in China. The freighter, now renamed "Floor", is expected to be towed away within the next two months.
Last year, a fire broke out on the "Fremantle Highway". For days, the burning freighter, carrying 1.6 million liters of heavy oil, lay off the Dutch Wadden Sea coast. An oil spill was feared. After more than a week, the ship was first towed to Eemshaven on the border with Lower Saxony, and later to Rotterdam.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. The captain had initially reported that an electric car was the source of the fire. The freighter was carrying around 3,800 cars, including nearly 500 electric vehicles. One man died during the evacuation of the ship.
The ship is set to be rebuilt in China. Initially, the supervisory authorities refused to grant a transport permit, deeming it hazardous waste with stricter regulations. KMS then removed all burned parts. The new owner is now reportedly looking for a suitable tugboat to transport the approximately 200-meter-long ship to China.
The fire-stricken "Fremantle Highway" had been anchored near the North Sea coast for over a week. After necessary repairs and the removal of burned parts, the refurbished ship, now named "Floor", will set sail from the North Sea coast towards China.
