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During Typhoon Kong-rey last year, the Chinese-flagged heavy-lift vessel Yu Zhou Qi Hang ran aground off the shore of Yehliu Geopark in New Taipei City. At the time of the incident, the vessel carried more than 284 tons of residual fuel, posing a severe environmental threat to Yehliu and the North Coast. Minister of Transportation and Communications Shih-kai Chen attached great importance to the matter. He personally inspected the site immediately after the grounding on October 31, 2024, and made two subsequent on-site visits on November 12, 2024 and June 10, 2025. Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Kuo-shian Lin also visited the site on November 8, 2024 to oversee the progress of fuel removal and cargo clearance, offering encouragement to the Maritime and Port Bureau’s (MPB) on-site team. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the MPB, Ocean Conservation Administration, Coast Guard Administration, local governments, and maritime contractors, the 284 tons of fuel were successfully removed on January 14, 2025, resolving a potential fuel pollution crisis. Additionally, after the northeast monsoons subsided and sea conditions improved, the MPB urged the ship insurer and marine engineering contractors to begin dismantling the vessel’s three large bridge cranes in April 2025. This operation successfully removed over 3,000 tons of crane structures. Following professional hull stability and watertightness assessments, underwater repairs and pressurization, and tank cleaning conducted by a Dutch marine engineering team, the vessel was refloated on Sept. 14 and towed into deep water for 48 hours of observation. Once the hull structural stability was confirmed, the vessel was towed to South Korea at 3:00 p.m. today (Sept. 17) for further handling. This marked the full restoration of Yehliu Cape’s beautiful seascape and the official resolution of the environmental threat posed by the Yu Zhou Qi Hang grounding.

The MPB stated that the Yu Zhou Qi Hang lost its power and ran aground during the typhoon on October 31, 2024. All 17 crew members safely abandoned ship and were rescued with the assistance of the Coast Guard Administration. The MPB worked closely with the Ocean Conservation Administration, the Coast Guard Administration, local governments, and maritime contractors to protect the environment and ecosystem of Yehliu and the North Coast. Through hundreds of coordination meetings, the MPB supervised the progress of fuel extraction, cargo removal, and refloating operations, successfully achieving its three main goals: Complete extraction of residual fuel, successful removal of the hull, and effective protection of the marine environment and worker safety. The MPB expressed its sincere appreciation to all participating agencies, as well as to local fishermen’s associations, fishermen, village chiefs, and residents for their help and support, which ensured the smooth completion of all operations.

The MPB further explained that the Yu Zhou Qi Hang had run aground in the Yehliu cape, where operations were made extremely difficult by the strong northeast monsoon and harsh sea conditions. To ensure progress, Director General Hsieh-lung Yeh personally presided over emergency response and fuel-removal meetings from the time of the grounding, and has, since June 2025, convened weekly progress-control meetings to supervise the active removal of cargoes and the vessel itself. The vessel removal was originally scheduled for completion by the end of August, but was slightly delayed due to consecutive typhoons and low-pressure weather in July. Fortunately, by closely monitoring marine and weather forecasts and working intensively during favorable conditions, the removal team successfully overcame challenges such as hull inclination, complex cutting and lifting balance calculations, and rough sea states. By early September, it had completed the removal of the vessel’s bridge cranes, creating a stable environment for subsequent refloating operations.

After the Yu Zhou Qi Hang was successfully refloated on September 14, it was moved to deeper waters for a 48-hour observation period. At the MPB’s request, the hull underwent verification and certification by a third-party inspection agency to confirm hull stability and towing endurance. Although the vessel’s residual fuel had been removed and its tanks thoroughly cleaned, oil containment booms were still deployed around the area as a precaution against any possible leakage. Once the third-party agency confirmed that the hull was stable and met towing safety standards, the vessel was successfully towed to South Korea for handling at 3:00 p.m. today. The removal team will next clear approximately 50 tons of remaining bridge crane debris from the reefs. Moreover, the MPB, in cooperation with the Ocean Conservation Administration, has instructed the removal team to conduct regular water quality monitoring in the grounding area. The results must be certified by a third-party agency to ensure that no pollution or debris remains, thereby guaranteeing full protection of the Yehliu coastal environment and the complete restoration of its natural land and seascape.

Contact person: Yun-hsiang Liu, section chief, Navigation Safety Section, North Maritime Affairs Center, MPB

Tel.: 02-89783571