A ferry that ran aground in 2017 lost propulsion due to engine systems being degraded by ultra low-sulphur fuel oil (ULSFO), an incident investigation has concluded.

P&O Ferries’ ro-ro passenger vessel Pride of Kent (built 1992) struck a jetty and then grounded while departing Calais, France, on 10 December.

The tripping of a bow thruster set off a chain of events that led to loss of control of the vessel and its grounding, according to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch’s (MAIB) incident report, published on Friday.