Japan owner on plan to refloat Suez ship using tide

The company that owns the giant container ship stuck sideways across the Suez Canal said an attempt will be made to refloat the vessel Saturday.

They will aim to use favourable tidal movements later in the day.

The Ever Given, owned by Japanese firm Shoei Kisen KK, got wedged Tuesday in a single-lane stretch of the canal, about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) north of the southern entrance, near the city of Suez.

At a news conference Friday night at the company's headquarters in Imabari, western Japan, Shoei Kisen president Yukito Higaki said they were sorry for the incident.

"We apologize for blocking the traffic and causing the tremendous trouble and worry to many people, including the involved parties," he said.

He added that 10 tugboats were deployed and workers were dredging the banks and sea floor near the vessel’s bow to try to get it afloat again as the high tide starts to go out.

Shoei Kisen said in a statement Saturday that the company has considered removing its containers to get the weight off the vessel, but it is a very difficult operation, physically speaking.

The company said it may still consider that option if the ongoing refloating efforts fail.