Stena Bulk has sold its fire-damaged tanker Stena Immaculate to an undisclosed buyer who intends to carry out major repairs at Desan Shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey.

The vessel was severely damaged in a fatal collision in the North Sea earlier this year. The 2017-built, 49,700-dwt MR tanker suffered severe structural and cargo tank damage after being struck by the Portuguese-flagged containership Solong in the North Sea on 10 March 2025.

The collision occurred while the tanker was anchored off the Humber Estuary, resulting in a fire that burned for days and led to the loss of over 17,500 barrels of jet fuel. At the time, the vessel was carrying aviation fuel for the US military.

Stena Bulk clarified that the tanker had not been sold for recycling, as previously speculated, but to a buyer who plans to fully repair the ship at Desan Shipyard. Before the handover, the vessel was reflagged from the United States to Malta.

Video Credits: ITV News/YouTube

After the accident, Stena Immaculate remained laid up in the United Kingdom for several months before being towed to Malta in late September. It was later seen arriving in Tuzla, Turkey, on 21 October, ahead of its transfer to the new owner.

Stena Bulk’s President and CEO, Erik Hånell, thanked everyone involved in the emergency response, salvage, and cargo transfer efforts. He said that despite the severe damage, the crew’s quick action helped prevent further losses and saved a large portion of the cargo. All crew members survived without serious injuries and were repatriated soon after the fire was contained.

Following the collision, the tanker was initially towed to Great Yarmouth’s Outer Harbour for inspection by insurance adjusters before being moved to Malta. The Solong, which also caught fire, was later towed to Scotland for the first phase of a salvage operation and was subsequently sold for recycling, arriving in Belgium in August.

UK authorities have criticised the Solong’s operations at the time, saying there was patchy fog in the area and the vessel reportedly failed to keep a proper lookout.

Video Credits: Guardian News/YouTube

The Stena Immaculate had anchored at the site at around 6:50 p.m. on 9 March, with the Solong travelling at about 15 knots when it struck the port side of the tanker at approximately 9:47 a.m. the next morning.

A total of 36 crew members from both vessels were rescued after the collision, with the assistance of crew transfer vessels working nearby on offshore wind projects. However, one crew member from the Solong, 38-year-old Filipino seafarer Mark Angelo Pernia, was declared missing and is presumed dead.

Legal and criminal proceedings linked to the collision remain ongoing. Stena Bulk Marine Services USA LLC and Crowley-Stena Marine Solutions LLC, which own and manage the Stena Immaculate, have filed a civil claim against MS Solong Schiffahrtsgesellschaft MBH & Co KG, a subsidiary of the Ernst Russ Group and owner of the Solong.

At a preliminary hearing before Mr Justice Bright at the High Court, counsel representing the Solong’s owner said both sides had agreed that the civil trial would not take place before October 2026.

Meanwhile, the Solong’s master, 59-year-old Russian national Vladimir Motin, has pleaded not guilty to gross negligence manslaughter over the death of the missing crew member. He is set to face trial at the Old Bailey in January 2026.

Reference: Stena Bulk