An inland barge carrying 1,400 mt of potassium chloride and 3,500 liters of diesel sank while moored at the Kalikai terminal in Germany’s port of Hamburg on Feb. 6, maritime news portal Splash 24/7 reported.
The sinking of the Alster occurred at around 6 a.m. local time, according to the report, and the vessel’s captain and a deckhand who had remained onboard overnight escaped uninjured. The barge was docked overnight at the Kalikai terminal, which is operated by K+S Transport, part of the K+S Group.
The vessel was reported to have sunk roughly an hour after it starting to list and take on water. Emergency services placed a containment barrier around the area but reported that a small amount of diesel had leaked into the harbor, according to the report. No potassium chloride leaks were reported.
Officials said there was no immediate environmental hazard but are in discussions with the Hamburg Port Authority and the barge owner about the salvage of the vessel to prevent damage to the River Elbe. However, Greenpeace personnel who went to the scene expressed concern that a potassium chloride leak would raise the salinity of the Elbe.
K+S’s website said it handles about 500 sea and inland vessels a year at the Kalikai terminal, with 3.5-4.5 million mt of potash and salt products handled there annually, including more than 1 million mt in containers.