Cargo ship in front of the lock of the Kiel Canal in Brunsbüttel (archive image)
Photo: Axel Heimken / picture alliance / dpa
Almost two weeks after an oil spill in the port of Brunsbüttel, ships are back on the Kiel Canal.
"Traffic has been heading west since seven," said Detlef Wittmüß, head of the Waterways and Shipping Office for the Kiel Canal (WSA).
Ten ships sailed the canal towards the North Sea.
Coming from the Baltic Sea, six more were heading towards the Holtenau locks.
At the other end, the channel should be released around 12 p.m.
The first ships should already be locked in during the morning, said Wittmüß.
"When the last checks are completed, the gates will open in Brunsbüttel and we'll be back to normal operations." Coming from the North Sea, 13 ships were heading towards Brunsbüttel on Tuesday.
The canal was closed on December 21 after large amounts of crude oil spilled due to a leak in a pipeline.
Most of the cleaning work has now been completed, and the remaining work is expected to continue until the end of January.
hej/dpa-AFX
