Containership MOL PRESENCE Receives Permission to Call at Hong Kong

April 08, 2011

TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto) today reported that the MOL-operated containership MOL PRESENCE arrived in Hong Kong, and received permission to call at the port at 14:00 JST on Friday, April 8 (local time: 13:00), 2011.

<Background>
On March 22, the company received a report alleging higher than normal radiation had been detected on the MOL PRESENCE during quarantine inspection at Xiamen Port in Fujian Province, PRC.

Re-measurement was conducted on March 26, and the port authority notified MOL that "A maximum of 3.5 micro sieverts per hour radiation was detected on board, which is a higher level than the allowable maximum under the present standard, therefore the vessel must be cleaned to reduce the radiation before it can be allowed to off-load its cargo at the port."

However, on-site inspection by a third party was not approved, so the MOL PRESENCE departed Xiamen on March 27, and was again inspected by Nippon Kaiji Kentei Kyokai off Kobe Port on March 30. Subsequent to that inspection, MOL received a report that the detected radiation level was significantly lower than the level detected in Xiamen.

The MOL PRESENCE departed for Hong Kong on April 1, and, as a result of inspection by the Hong Kong port authority, radiation safety was confirmed and the vessel received permission to berth and conduct cargo operation.

Specifications of MOL PRESENCE
Gross tonnage: 71,776 dwt
Flag: Singapore
No. of seafarers: 23 Indians
No. of containers loaded: 4,698 TEU (equivalent to 4,698 20-foot containers)