Norway has decided not to repair a frigate which collided with a Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN) tanker last year.
The Helge Ingstad sank after coming into contact with the the 113,000-dwt Sola TS (built 2013) in Norwegian coastal waters.
The frigate was raised and stabilised, but investigations have shown that it will cost the Norwegian state between NOK 12bn ($1.4bn) and NOK 14bn to repair.
This is well ahead of the replacement cost for such a ship and it is now likely that Helge Ingstad will be scrapped.
Norway’s defense minster Frank Bakke-Jensen says the loss of Helge Ingstad has significant consequences for the country.
There are three suspects in the collision. One is the pilot onboard Sola TS, one is an officer of Helge Ingstad and an employee of the local vessel traffic services.
Oyvind Groneng, a lawyer representing New York-listed TEN, said: “The incident on the 8 November 2018 that led to the sinking of the frigate KNM Helge Ingstad was caused solely by the frigate’s negligence."
Sola TS only suffered minor damage in the bow in the collision.
