Egypt’s Suez Shipyard repairs missile hit bulker Zografia

While many of the world’s shipowners are now giving the Red Sea and the Suez Canal a wide berth after increasing missile drone attacks, particularly on US and British-owned vessels, by Houthi rebels in Yemen, one company that hopes to make increased business out of this seriously dangerous situation, is Egypt’s Suez Shipyard.

Located at the Red Sea entrance to the Suez Canal, in Port Taofik, Suez Shipyard, affiliated to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), recently carried out alongside repairs to the Greek-owned, Maltese-flag 56,894dwt 2010-built geared bulk carrier Zografia after the vessel was hit by missiles while on a ballast voyage from Vietnam to Israel on January 16th. 

Zografia is owned by Athens-based Greek shipowner Thenamaris and sailed from Suez Shipyard on January 27th for the Perama repair zone in Greece. Repairs to this vessel were carried out while the bulk carrier was moored alongside Suez Shipyard’s large floating dock.

With the successful completion of repairs to Zografia, the SCA said that this repair highlights Suez Shipyard’s readiness to repair missile-damaged ships attacked in the Red Sea and transiting the Canal. Since the Houthi missile attacks started at the beginning of 2024, the SCA said that in the period January 1st to 11th, the number of vessels transiting the Canal had dropped by 30%.