TK Bremen was a Maltese-flagged cargo ship that ran aground on December 16, 2011, at Erdeven, on the coast of southern Brittany in France, generating extensive media coverage and much controversy. Built in 1982 at a shipyard in Busan, South Korea, the modest-sized bulk carrier was owned by a succession of shipowners since its launch, sometimes changing flag. Regularly inspected, it did not present any major safety defects at the time of grounding.
On December 15, the ship left the port of Lorient, where it had just unloaded its cargo, as storm Joachim was forecast. The captain decided to anchor in the shelter of the island of Groix, opposite Lorient, to allow the storm to pass. During the gale, the ship was unable to hold on to its anchor, and after several attempts to reach a sheltered anchorage, it ran aground on the south coast of Morbihan on the night of December 16, causing moderate pollution but no casualties. Too damaged to be repaired, it was dismantled in January 2012 at the site of the wreck. A month later, the dune area where the ship ran aground was completely restored. The accident sparked controversy, as the port authorities were accused of allowing the ship to set sail in a forecast storm. The report by the Marine Investigation Bureau, published in April 2012, blamed poor decision-making by the captain of the TK Bremen on the night of the tragedy.