Cargo ship Lira departs Port of Olbia after seven years

The cargo ship Lira has departed the Port of Olbia, ending a nearly seven-year period of abandonment and complex legal proceedings. Towed by the tugboat Christos XXIV, the vessel is en route to the Port of Piraeus.

The ship, measuring 86 meters in length with a tonnage of 1,948, had been moored at Isola Bianca since December 2019. It originally arrived in Olbia after being recovered in the Tyrrhenian Sea in a state of severe damage following abandonment by its previous owner. Its presence had triggered long-standing legal actions by crew members seeking to recover unpaid wages.

The removal follows an administrative process initiated by the Court of Tempio Pausania, which awarded the vessel to H&D Shipping S. r. l. The departure restores a strategic berth to the Gallura port, improves operational capacity, and addresses maritime safety and environmental concerns caused by the vessel's progressive deterioration.