Dutch cargo ship Alaskaborg, owned by Wagenborg, pumped oil into the Atlantic for 12+ hours. Captain and chief engineer fined €2,000 and licenses suspended for 8 weeks by Dutch Maritime Disciplinary Court.
Environmental Hazard
In February 2022, aboard the Alaskaborg, a critical alarm in hold two went unheeded as the captain and chief engineer mistook it for snow or water-related issues due to heavy snowfall during the voyage from Canada to Rotterdam.
They activated the bilge ejector, leading to over 12 hours of oil discharge into the Atlantic. The Dutch Maritime Disciplinary Court recently fined both officers €2,000 each and suspended their licenses for eight weeks in response to this environmental hazard. T
Gravity of Situation
he Alaskaborg incident highlights the consequences of neglecting critical alarms and underestimating the severity of potential hazards.
The vessel’s captain and chief engineer’s failure to promptly address the alarm’s true cause, combined with adverse weather conditions, resulted in an extended period of oil discharge into the Atlantic, ultimately leading to legal repercussions and environmental damage.
Hatch Damage
This also meant that oil went into the cargo hold and into the bilge well portside fore, and subsequently ended up overboard. Upon later calculations, it was established that the vessel lost 54.7 cbm of VLSFO (Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil), part of it ending up in the Atlantic. Canadian Coast Guard at the time of the incident reported that some 30,000 litres of VLFSO ended up in the ocean.
The leak was caused by the damage to the fuel tank with the lashing rings of a between decks hatch breaking and the hatch falling into the hold piercing the tank.
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Source : Project Cargo Journal
