Containership MOL PRESENCE Receives Permission to Call at Hong Kong

News Release MOL (Europe) B.V. (European Head Office) April 8, 2011

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ROTTERDAM, 8
April 2011 – 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)
 
The MOL PRESENCE passed some
67 nautical miles (about 124km) offshore of the Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power
Plant around 18:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, on its way to Tokyo from
Oakland, the U.S. (departed on March 4). After it called at the Port of Tokyo on
Thursday March 17, (arrived in port at 07:45 a.m., departed at 19:25 p.m.), and
steamed on to the Port of Xiamen in China.
 
<Reference>
As of March 15, the Japan Coast
Guard issued a precautionary notification for vessels to avoid the Fukushima
No.1 Nuclear Power Plant (37 25.5 N 141 02.0 E) by at least 30 km. The U.S.
Coast Guard also issued a precautionary notification advising vessels to avoid
the nuclear plant by a minimum of 50 miles (43nm, 80 km).
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