A routine refueling operation at Europe’s second-busiest port turned into a significant environmental and operational crisis when the container ship MSC Denmark VI leaked heavy fuel oil into the Deurganck Dock at Belgium’s Port of Antwerp-Bruges in the early hours of April 10. The oil spread rapidly through the dock and into the tidal Scheldt River estuary — the port’s main maritime access route to the North Sea — forcing authorities to halt all vessel traffic and suspend operations at the port’s largest container terminal. At its peak, the shutdown affected an estimated 100 to 200 ships daily that move through Antwerp, one of the world’s most critical logistics hubs.

Port officials and specialized cleanup vessels worked through the day to contain the spill, reopening the Scheldt to shipping by Friday afternoon. However, the Deurganck Dock remained closed as crews worked to clear oil from container terminals, locks, and dock walls. The situation escalated further over the following days as oil spread beyond the initial site — contaminating protected nature reserves across the Zeeland border in the Netherlands, including the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe and the Hedwigepolder. Dutch authorities detected oil on contaminated birds in the area, and conservation officials warned that heavier fuel oil had sunk below the water surface, complicating cleanup efforts significantly.

Full remediation is expected to take weeks. Authorities have indicated they will pursue liability against those responsible, while environmental groups pointed out that bunkering operations have been a recurring source of spills in the region. Port of Antwerp-Bruges leadership acknowledged the significant economic impact of the disruption, noting that the incident has accelerated plans for roughly $6 billion in long-term capacity expansion — including a second tidal dock and expanded container facilities — aimed at improving both resilience and throughput through 2032.