The Kiel Canal — which connects the North Sea to the Baltic — is to open for business again, according to German authorities.
Ship traffic at the world’s busiest artificial waterway is set to resume at 1200 local time (1100 GMT) on Tuesday.
The canal had stopped operations after a sizeable quantity of crude oil was detected on 16 December, leaking from a pipeline at its western entrance of Brunsbuttel.
Cleaning works progressed well and the oil was prevented from spilling into other parts of the canal or the North Sea, state-run Deutschlandfunk cited Tobias Goldschmidt as saying — the climate protection minister at the local state of Schleswig Holstein.
However, authorities warn that some residual oil may remain in the canal and pollute vessels crossing it.
The German government will not be held liable for related ship cleaning costs, the GAC Hot Port News service said in a note to clients.
“The provisions of German law concerning the liability for gross negligence and intention, as well as the liability for the damage of life, body and health, remain unaffected,” the news service added.
“The letter of ‘exclusion of liability of damages and losses’ is no longer compulsory and can be disregarded for future transits,” GAC Hot Port News said.
The Kiel Canal, a 98-kilometre (61-mile) long waterway, has operated since 1895 and cuts travel times for ships sailing between the North Sea and the Baltic.
