Concerns for environment as oil spill clean-up continues at Port of Antwerp
The clean-up at the port of Antwerp following last week’s oil spill is in its sixth day. The Scheldt river will rise on Sunday with the spring tide, at which point the full extent of the impact on the natural environment will become clear.
“We can see that the oil is still drifting towards the Netherlands, for miles,” a spokesperson for nature conservation agency Natuurpunt said on Wednesday. “It is only on Monday, after the spring tide, that we will see the true extent of the damage caused by the spill. We naturally hope that it will be as minimal as possible.”
Civil Protection and volunteers from Natuurpunt are working on the right bank of the Scheldt today, removing oil from port infrastructure, ships and nearby riverbanks. There is reportedly slightly less work required on the left bank. Inland vessels are also being cleaned at the Galgenschoor inland shipping jetty.
"We can see that the oil is still drifting towards the Netherlands, for miles"
At the site of the leak, the Deurganck Dock, a section of the west side has become available again, following the east side. The quay wall of the North Sea Terminal is reportedly largely available, but the Europa Terminal is not yet operational.
A container ship leaked a significant amount of oil during refuelling last week, bringing shipping to a standstill. Terminal operators MSC and PSA have begun a joint inquiry and the Nautical Commission has opened an investigation at the request of the court in Ghent.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the second-largest port in Europe, handling 290 million tonnes of cargo annually and connecting to more than 800 destinations.
#FlandersNewsService | Civil security workers during a clean-up operation at the Port of Antwerp, 10 April 2026 © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
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