Funen, Denmark-based shipping company Uni-Tankers was reported to be facing litigation in the Maritime and Commercial Court in Denmark after one of its vessels was alleged to have destroyed the submarine cable over to Bornholm on February 26th 2022. Chemical/oil products tanker Samus Swan (IMO 9401312) was claimed to have “probably” pulled an anchor over the cable, severing it, causing DKK38m ($5.6m) of damage and interrupting the supply of power to the island. The Samus Swan was en route from Latvia to Rotterdam at the time. One of three submarine cables operated by Danish utility Energinet was severed. An old standby powerplant on the island was reactivated within six hours, and it helped provide electricity for the following month.
Energinet has filed suit against vessel operator Uni-Tankers in connection with the damage. The utility is seeking $5.6m in damages in connection with the outage and the cable repair. Uni-Tankers has confirmed that its product tanker Samus Swan was in the area at the time of the break, but not whether the vessel may have been involved.
The court may take until 2024 to hear the civil case, according to Energinet.
As of August 6th 2023 the vessel was en route from Cartagena, Spain, to Valletta, Malta.
2009-built, Denmark-flagged, 4,001 gt Samus Swan is owned by Samus Swan Aps care of manager Uni-Tankers A/S of Middelfart, Denmark. It is entered with Gard for P&I and for Hull, on behalf of Uni-Tankers MT Samus Swan ApS and Uni-Tankers A/S respectively.