The Korean flagged ship Melilla 201 is expected to sail soon, Port Otago chief executive Geoff Plunket says.
But Maritime NZ is unsure how long the vessel will remain in Dunedin before it will give clearance for it to leave.
Mr Plunket said the ship was moored at Beach St wharf and was expected to leave for India ''within the next day or so''.
Despite grounding in lower Otago Harbour on Tuesday night, the ship was fit to sail to Asia, he said.
''It lightly came to rest against the bank at the edge of the channel. It lightly grounded and there is no damage - that we are aware of - to the vessel.''
On Tuesday, the ship returned to Port Chalmers ''under its own power'' without issue, he said. The incident was reported to the Otago Regional Council harbourmaster and Maritime NZ, he said.
''The vessel will need clearance from Maritime NZ before it can sail and it will sail when it has got clearance,'' Mr Plunket said.
A Maritime NZ spokesman said the auxiliary generator on the ship failed on Tuesday and stopped the operation between the steering and the bridge of the ship.
The ship was registered in the Cook Islands and it was the island country's responsibility to ensure the ship was seaworthy.
''It won't sail until we are satisfied the vessel is fit to make the voyage,'' he said.
How long the ship would need to be moored in Port Chalmers was unknown, he said.
The 73m factory stern trawler had been tied up at the Birch St wharf in Dunedin for nearly two years after being seized by the Ministry for Primary Industries.