Antwerp Oil Spill Clean-Up Continues After Bunkering Incident

Clean-up efforts are still ongoing at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium following a significant oil spill that occurred during a bunkering operation on the night of April 9.

The port authority confirmed the incident on April 10 at 7:30 a.m. local time, reporting that oil released at Deurganck Dock had spread into the Scheldt River.

According to local media reports, the vessel MSC Denmark VI was identified as the source of the spill. The ship reportedly suffered a hull crack, which led to oil leaking during the bunkering process.

Emergency response teams were quickly deployed to contain the situation. As a precaution, vessel traffic along a key section of the Scheldt River near the port entrance was temporarily suspended. In addition, the Zandvliet and Berendrecht locks were closed to limit the spread of the oil.

The spill impacted multiple vessels operating in the area, including ships at a major container terminal, nearby inland vessels, and a tugboat.

By Friday afternoon, around 1:30 p.m., navigation on the Scheldt River resumed, although Deurganck Dock remained shut. Clean-up operations were stepped up, with specialized vessels working across heavily affected areas such as the Noordzee Terminal, Europaterminal, and nearby lock complexes.

On April 11, the Berendrecht Lock reopened overnight, followed later by the Zandvliet Lock, while response efforts continued. Conditions improved further on April 12, allowing clean-up vessels to begin leaving terminals as incoming ship traffic gradually resumed.

As of April 13, several berths at Deurganck Dock had reopened, and all major locks, including Zandvliet and Berendrecht, were back in operation. Kieldrecht Lock was partially accessible. Authorities confirmed that large-scale clean-up operations are still in progress and are expected to continue for several more days.

An official investigation into the incident has been launched. At the same time, terminal operators MSC and PSA have initiated a joint inquiry to determine the cause of the spill.