Frachchiff rams Schleusentor: North Ostsee Canal again affected!

On January 2, 2025, a serious incident occurred on the North Ostsee Canal in Brunsbüttel when a cargo ship collided with the binnentor of the Great Nordschleuse. According to initial investigations, machine failure was the cause of the incident. The 88 -meter -long ship was on the way from Hamburg to Klaipeda in Lithuania and could not maneuver from the Elbe while inlet into the channel.

In the collision, the lock gate was badly damaged, with an impression of about two meters over a width of ten meters. Shipping has been redirected to another lock chamber since the incident, and luckily there were no injuries. According to the information of the waterway and shipping management (WSV), an examination by divers is planned to check possible damage to the lock floor by the thrown anchor.

repairs and consequences for shipping

The repair work includes the expansion of the damaged gate, the replacement gate of which is currently in a shipyard in Kiel. Completion is planned for spring, with the exchange of the gate expected to take 14 days. Experts also check whether the large north lock remains usable for low water. Restrictions for shipping are assessed as manageable, whereby a tractor's obligation could possibly be introduced for large ships to avoid further damage.

The damaged ship is said to have suffered slight damage to the Steven, and measures to check the seaworthiness before continuing. This event is not the first incident of this kind; It was only in December 2024 that a freight ship was ram a lock gate on the Moselle, which led to months, as N-TV reported.