Pollution control experts were called in to contain a diesel spill at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in early April after another mishap at the nearby synchrolift.
A Russian-flagged fishing trawler fell off her blocks, damaging the vessel and resulting in the spill. Details of the incident remain unclear.
V&A spokesperson Donald Kau confirmed the spill. ”The vessel has been boomed with a barrier as well as the synchrolift and service providers Spiltech and TNPA are containing the leak,” he told TimesLive.
Local maritime stakeholders have raised concerns about the recent performance of the synchrolift in light of an earlier accident involving the tall ship Europa, which involved a major salvage operation to get her upright. The century-old bark keeled over at the facility in May 2023, with 26 crew aboard. Fortunately nobody was seriously injured, but the incident caused significant disruption.