Oil Sheen Closes Kiel Canal Lock for Hours

The northern lock of the Kiel Canal in Germany was shut down for approximately six hours on May 18 after an oil sheen was discovered inside one of the lock chambers.

The sheen was detected at around 1:40 p.m. local time while four vessels were inside the chamber. Authorities carried out inspections on each ship individually before identifying the Rix Mariner as the source of the leak.

Officials said the oily film spread across an estimated 3,000 square meters. Emergency teams from the Kiel Fire Brigade and the State Agency for Coastal Protection responded to the incident. After extended discussions, authorities concluded that the sheen did not present a significant enough environmental threat to require cleanup measures or further intervention.

The vessels remained inside the lock chamber for several hours before being cleared to continue their transit at approximately 7:00 p.m. Following the reopening, the Rix Mariner was escorted to the North Harbour, where it was berthed at Voith Quay for additional investigation. The vessel is expected to stay there until authorities determine the source of the leak and repairs are completed. As of May 19, the ship remained where it was.