Oil Spill Disruption at Taiwan’s Keelung Port

Operations at Taiwan’s northern port of Keelung are gradually resuming following a recent oil spill during a bunkering operation that caused disruptions to port activities. The incident, which occurred on March 16, resulted in the fouling of four containerships, a cruise ship, and the port’s pilot boats, necessitating extensive cleaning efforts.

The spill took place while the regional containership Kanway Global was undergoing refueling at the port. The 24,500 dwt vessel, built in 1998 and registered in Taiwan, had arrived from another port in Taiwan before the spill incident unfolded around 10:00 PM local time on Sunday night. The vessel, with a capacity of 1,675 TEU, was in the process of refueling when the spill occurred.

In response to the spill, port officials swiftly deployed booms to contain the leaked fuel. Reports indicated that the spill was caused by an overflow from the barge connection, resulting in an estimated 100 liters of fuel contaminating the area around the container terminal and affecting multiple berths.

Cleanup efforts were immediately initiated, with crews seen on Monday applying absorbent materials and conducting oil removal operations on the affected vessels. The Taiwan International Ports Corporation, which manages the port, confirmed that departures were delayed and port operations were impacted as a result of the spill.

Among the vessels impacted were two TS Line vessels, namely TS Pusan and TS Surabaya, as well as Yang Ming’s feeder vessel YM Immense. Additionally, the cruise ship Norwegian Sky, which was docked at the port, also suffered from the spill.

As of late Tuesday, the Kanway Global and the TS Surabaya remained at the port for cleaning, while the Norwegian Sky had departed for Hong Kong. The TS Pusan had also undergone cleaning and was cleared for departure. Furthermore, three pilot boats were slated for dry-docking to facilitate cleaning operations.

Port authorities aimed to complete the cleanup by the end of Tuesday, with expectations of normal operations resuming at the port soon. Kanway Lines, the operator of the Kanway Global, faced a reported fine of approximately US$10,000 in relation to the incident.

Top photo of Keelung port in 2024 by Heeheemalu – CC BY-SA 4.0