MSC, the multinational company and owner of the ship that began leaking on Thursday evening, has not yet responded

Part of the Scheldt River has reopened to shipping traffic following last night’s oil spill in the Port of Antwerp. The Port of Antwerp-Bruges hopes to be fully operational again within 24 hours. The impact on the environment is not yet clear. The oil spill is believed to have occurred while the container ship MSC Denmark VI (IMO 9231250, MMSI 636018240 - sailing under the flag of Liberia.) was being refuelled in the Deurganck Dock. Although the leak was quickly resolved, the Scheldt was partially closed on Friday morning due to oil pollution.

Part of the Scheldt has reopened to shipping traffic.

Meanwhile, part of the Scheldt has reopened to shipping traffic. The Deurganck Dock, the Berendrecht Lock, and the Kieldrecht Lock will remain closed until further notice. The Zandvliet Lock is scheduled to open on Friday afternoon. The effect on the environment is not yet known. In about three days, there will be a spring tide, which causes very high water levels in the Scheldt River. 'If the goo hasn’t cleared by then, it will cause major problems for the birds and reeds,' said Jef Van De Wiele, chairman of the local branch of the nature organisation Natuurpunt.

The Ouden Doel salt marsh area

The Ouden Doel salt marsh area near the port is one of the many areas managed by his organisation. 'The port briefed us yesterday and said that it is doing everything possible to clean up the area as quickly as possible.' Both the left and right banks of the Scheldt are designated as European protected areas.

Related : Antwerp chemical firms test water reuse

Image Source : Vessel Finder

Today, the first cleaned vessels departed

Today, 12 April: Overnight and this morning, the first cleaned vessels departed from the container terminals. More vessels are expected to arrive throughout the day. Cleaning operations on the vessels, terminals, Galgenschoor, and the Lillo jetty are ongoing. In terms of shipping traffic, 18 vessels are currently planned or en route to Antwerp. A further 14 vessels are waiting to enter the port, and 23 are waiting to leave. 

The riverbanks along the Scheldt will be assessed further today to determine the need for clean-up operations.MSC, the multinational company and owner of the ship that began leaking on Thursday evening, has not yet responded

About : The Port of Antwerp-Bruges

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a public port authority responsible for managing and developing port infrastructure and nautical operations in Antwerp and Zeebrugge. The authority oversees maritime access, industrial clusters, and logistics integration, as well as coordinating safety, environmental protection, and vessel traffic across its jurisdiction.

Related : The Port of Antwerp will have its own air defence system by 2027 to counter drone threats

# Port of Antwerp-Bruges #Cleaning operations #Scheldt River #MSC Denmark VI#oil spill #shipping traffic