Posted on April 20, 2026
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges reopened the River Scheldt to shipping on April 10 after an oil spill during a bunkering operation halted traffic on the approach, according to an official port update.
Oil spread overnight from Deurganck Dock into the Scheldt, forcing a full shutdown of the river stretch between buoy 80 and the dock entrance and closing the Zandvliet and Berendrecht locks. Traffic resumed at 13:30 local time, but Deurganck Dock remained shut with clean-up operations continuing into April 11.
The disruption escalated quickly. By the evening of April 10, 29 outbound and 25 inbound vessels were waiting.
By the morning of April 11, 18 vessels were planned or en route, 14 were waiting to enter and 23 were waiting to depart. Later that day, the Zandvliet lock reopened, restoring all right bank locks, while conditions at container terminals remained unchanged.
The port has not disclosed the volume spilled. It said the leak source had been stopped and the directly involved seagoing vessels contained. Specialised vessels and emergency services remained deployed to contain the spill and clean affected infrastructure, vessels and nearby nature areas, including Galgenschoor.
The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a public port authority responsible for the management and development of port infrastructure and nautical operations in Antwerp and Zeebrugge. It oversees maritime access, industrial clusters and logistics integration, and coordinates safety, environmental protection and vessel traffic across its jurisdiction.
