A huge environmental crime in Egypt committed by Qatari LNG carrier

Carrier “Lijmiliya” in Milford

On January 1st, 2009, one of the world’s largest Q-Max LNG carriers was delivered to Nakilat and Qatargas Operating Company Limited at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd., Okpo shipyard on Geoje Island, South Korea.

The Nakilat, the Qatar gas transport companyr, owned 263,000 CBM LNG Carrier “Lijmiliya” that was used during the last four years to ship LNG produced by Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited (II), known as Qatargas 2, to customers in Europe, via the Sues Canal.

In a photo taken on Nov.28, 2012 by Marine Traffic.com, during passing the way in Gibralatar.

One of the documents published on the crime.

The Q-Flex and the even larger Q-Max are a new generation of LNG mega-ships. The Q-Max has 80 percent more capacity than conventional LNG carriers with about 40 percent lower energy requirements due to the economies of scale created by their size and the efficiency of the engines. Q-Max LNG carriers are unique and purpose built for Nakilat and will be on long-term charter to Qatargas.

Today, the well known Egyptian blogger and activist Mr. Wael Abbas uncovered the worst environmental crime in the history of Egypt, caused by this carrier. The LNG Carrier “Lijmiliya” has polluted the Bitter Lakes (pronounced ” Al-Bohayrat Al-Morra in Arabic), a natural area of 19 000 acres size connected to the Sues Canal. Yesterday, this ship was seen by a plane belonging to the Egyptian Third Field Army during the discharge of oil in the Morra Lakes. The Army commanders informed the Suez Canal Authority, with a notice letter published by the activist in his blog “Misr Digit@l”. He published the letter as an evident of the crime of the Qatari environmental crime in Egypt.

A tourist in a cruise in the Bitter Lakes

In consequence, the Suez Canal Authority decided to hold on the Qatari LNG Carrier “Lijmiliya” to be responsible of all fines and expenses;

“The Master of Lijmiliya. Dear Sir, we hold you responsible for the pollution caused by your ship while anchoring at G.B.L. today 29-04-2013. Stop all costs will be charged for this case from ship stop. your agent will be informed.”, the notice letter says in of the documents published by Mr. Wael Abbas.

The Sues Canal Map

I would like to mention the worst by saying that such pollution destroys the Morra Lakes, which has an area of 19,000 acres, located in the two provinces of Ismailia, Suez on the Sues Canal. The lakes are the source of livelihood for a large number of fishermen as the lakes produce 1,200 tons of fish annually, in addition to be a tourist attraction with their 50 kilometers beach. Mr. Wael says that this distance owns a large number of tourist villages, and this type of pollution kills fish and destroys tourism.

The Sues Canal Authority building

For the blogger’s surprise, the acquisitions against LNG Carrier “Lijmiliya” were withdrawn by orders from the Egyptian ruling members of Muslim Brotherhood, considering the “good” relations between Mr. Mohammed Morsi, and his Qatari equivalent.