EMEA News
Antwerp Port Congestion Severely Delays Bunkering Operations
Severe congestion at the Port of Antwerp has caused major delays to bunkering operations.
Maritime traffic for both seagoing and inland vessels resumed this morning after being suspended since Monday evening amid nationwide strike action, the Port of Antwerp Bruges said in an update on Wednesday.
However, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges has warned it may take several days to clear the backlog.
More than 60 ships are currently waiting to depart, while around 100 ships remain queued to enter the port, the authority said.
"It is too early to estimate how quickly the situation will improve; clearing the backlog will take several days," the port authority said.
Meanwhile, pilots' organisation BVL has temporarily suspended its actions until 07:30 local time on October 24 and resumed normal operations in the meantime.
The port authority said this is expected to gradually ease congestion, although the full availability of pilotage services may not be known until later this afternoon.
The disruption has also had a knock-on effect on bunkering activity.
A source told Ship & Bunker that severe congestion has caused significant delays in bunker deliveries in Antwerp, with some ships waiting for days to take on bunkers.
The backlog is so large that some ships are trying to divert and go to other ports nearby, another source said.
