Beluga Fortune: ducked into panic room, cut fuel

Hijackers fled a heavy-lift cargo ship and a British frigate took charge.
Beluga Fortune's crew sent out an emergency call, barricaded themselves in a special security room, shut off the fuel supply and the bridge and informed the military. "This way the pirates could not bring the ship under their control or take the sailors at ransom." Beluga Shipping GmbH says that a British frigate, a surveillance plane and a helicopter were involved in freeing the German cargo ship. The rescue was peaceful because by the time the military entered the Beluga Fortune the pirates had already fled. The crew had trained for an emergency situation like this many times over the years. here



Ship Name: BELUGA FORTUNE
IMO: 9402067
MMSI: 305222000
Callsign: V2D13
Flag: Antigua and Barbuda

Category: Cargo
Beam: 21
Length: 138
Draught: 8.3

The oil and gas industry, the offshore wind sector, port construction and expansion, production and modernisation of power plants and virtually anything big, heavy and difficult: these are the core worldwide activities of the more than 500 experienced experts and the powerful fleet of Beluga Shipping GmbH. As the innovative world market leader in the project and heavy-lift segment, we open new corridors and take unbeaten paths in efficiently meeting our clients’ requirements. The vessels in our fleet (currently 69 units, strategic target for the end of 2012: 75 units) are equipped with cargo handling gear that can lift a combinable load of up to 1400 tons on the most powerful units.

Additional capabilities include adjustable tweendecks and a top cruising speed of up to 18 knots. Thanks to their design, the ships are also able to operate on routes off the beaten track of the large global flows of goods. Our constantly growing fleet with an average age of three years numbers among the most modern of its kind. The vessels optimally combine a large cargo carrying capacity with low fuel consumption.

Looking to the future, a new generation of Beluga vessels is already taking shape at the shipyards: In 2010 multipurpose heavy-lift cargo carriers with lifting capacities of up to 1400 tons will sail in the service of Beluga Shipping. The unique combination of capability and efficiency of the P1- and P2 series will set higher benchmarks in heavy-lift business.