An explosion ripped through a Gunvor Energy fuel terminal at the Port of Rotterdam on Thursday morning, killing one worker and injuring at least six others, Dutch police confirmed. The blast struck the Europoort industrial section of the continent’s busiest port at around 11:30 a.m. local time, sending emergency crews scrambling to the scene.
The explosion occurred during maintenance work on pipelines at the Gunvor facility on Moezelweg in the Europoort district. Rotterdam police said a trauma team arrived by helicopter alongside multiple fire crews, while the surrounding area was immediately cordoned off. The labor inspectorate was dispatched to investigate.
Gunvor Energy, a subsidiary of the global commodity trading firm, confirmed the blast happened during maintenance on one of its storage tanks at the plant, which produces LPG, gasoline, diesel and kerosene. The facility is described by the company as a traditional refinery undergoing a sustainability transition.
A separate major incident unfolded earlier the same day at a nearby ExxonMobil refinery on Botlekweg, where a transformer fire triggered a power outage and forced several companies to halt operations and evacuate workers. Emergency services said the blackout was not linked to the Gunvor explosion, though investigators continued to examine any possible connections.
The twin disruptions rattled Europe’s largest port complex, which handles more than 400 million tonnes of cargo annually and serves as a critical gateway for energy supplies across the continent. Shell and BP both said their facilities were unaffected and continued operating normally. Power was restored to the affected area by the afternoon.
Rotterdam police said the cause of the Gunvor explosion remained unclear and that nothing could be ruled out. The investigation was handed to the labor inspectorate, which oversees workplace safety. A crime scene was secured at the site, with forensic teams dispatched to examine the blast area.
The explosion raises fresh questions about safety protocols at the sprawling port complex, where multiple energy companies operate in close proximity. The Port of Rotterdam, located in the western Netherlands, is the largest in Europe and one of the busiest in the world, handling oil, chemicals, coal and containers for trade across the European Union.
Sources: Reuters, Euronews, Maritime Executive
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