Meadway Shipping and Trading is reportedly suing Integrity Bulk ApS (IBA) for using off-spec bunker fuels on one of its ships.
The Greek shipowner and manager is said to be claiming $2.15m in damages from the Danish charterer, reports Argus Media.
The lawsuit alleges that IBA, which chartered Meadway’s 37,070-dwt bulk carrier ASL Luna (built 2013) and fuelled it in Balboa, Panama in June.
IBA spokesman Martin Egvang has confirmed to TradeWinds that a vessel chartered from Meadway was supplied off-spec bunkers while in the Panama Canal.
"It does seem there is a problem with the bunkers. We are trying to sort out this mess with Meadway but a lot of things are up in the air right now concerning this," he said today.
"Where this is going to land we don't know at the moment. We're not running away from our responsibilities but we need to know all the facts first."
A message left with Meadway has not been immediately returned.
However, the resulting bunkers are alleged to have caused all six injector pumps of the Marshal Island-flagged vessel’s main engine to seize.
According to the filing, a laboratory test showed that the total phenol content of the bunker added up to 106 parts per million (ppm), whereas typically this content is less than 100 parts per million.
The lawsuit, was filed in the US District Court for the District of Maryland is claiming $10,235.50 per day in loss of hire, while the vessel was waiting for analysis of the bunkers between 14-20 July.
The vessel’s trading opportunities were also said to be “restrained due to the suspected bunkers remaining on board”, which the lawsuit pegs as $100,000 loss.
Meadway also may be required to remove the faulty fuel at an estimated cost of $300,000. The damage to the vessel, which has not been fully assessed, is estimated at $500,000.
The lawsuit alleges that according to the sub-charter agreement IBA was responsible for fuelling of the vessel and is liable for losses or damages caused by unsuitable fuels.
IBA is also said to have redelivered the vessel with less fuel than agreed, while Meadway is said to have also had to purchase back from the owners on redelivery of the vessel some $163,878 worth of unsuitable fuel.
