Citing industry sources, Automotive News sister publication Automobilewoche reported Thursday that a low four-digit number of the 3,783 cars on board the ship are owned by BMW Group, which also includes Mini.
When contacted by Automobilewoche, BMW declined to confirm or deny information, calling it speculation.
Separately, German newspaper Bild reported Thursday that 800 of the cars are still intact, according to the salvage company Boskalis.
Next destination: Eemshaven
At around 5 a.m. Thursday, the Fremantle Highway started to be towed to Eemshaven, which is a seaport in the north of the Netherlands, according to the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. It arrived in the early afternoon.
Eemshaven was chosen because it is close by — roughly 64 km from where the ship was anchored. Proximity is a factor because of deteriorating weather conditions in the area.
The port also has the infrastructure and facilities needed to begin salvage operations on the ship.
The fire on the ship, which is blamed for one death and multiple injuries, is out, the ministry said, adding that experts will remain on the Fremantle Highway while it’s being towed to Eemshaven. Once it it there will become the responsibility of the ship’s owner, Japan’s Shoei Kisen, the ministry said.
The Dutch Coast Guard and an oil response vessel will accompany the ship during trip.
To be on the safe side, an oil-conducting screen will be placed around the ship to limit any contamination of the water.
$330 million loss
The Fremantle Highway’s cargo loss is estimated at more than $330 million, said Patrick Anderson, an economist with Anderson Economic Group.
Anderson, whose firm is based in East Lansing, Michigan, referenced the Felicity Ace fire in 2022, when he called for a safety review of commercial car carriers.
The Felicity Ace was carrying about 4,000 vehicles, including Volkswagens, Porsches, Audis, Bentleys and Lamborghinis — some of them electric with lithium ion batteries — when it caught fire and sank in the Atlantic Ocean.
Charter company K Line said Friday there were 3,783 vehicles on board the ship — including 498 battery electrics, significantly more than the 25 initially reported. BMW and Mercedes-Benz said they had cars among the cargo aboard the ship.
The carrier has been towed to a location away from shipping lanes as part of salvage operations, the Dutch public works and water management ministry said Monday.
Lennart Wermke and Bloomberg contributed
