Investigation underway after maintenance incident

A spokesperson for the energy trading firm Gunvor stated that an incident took place during maintenance work on a storage tank. Police confirmed there are no immediate indications of sabotage, and all scenarios are currently being investigated. The blast occurred around 11:30 a.m. local time, prompting Gunvor to cooperate fully with local authorities.

Impact on major port operations

As Europe's largest port—housing major energy operations including Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, and Gunvor—impacts across the facility varied. Representatives for Shell and the Port of Rotterdam confirmed that their operations and LNG terminals remained unaffected. Meanwhile, a simultaneous power outage led ExxonMobil to shut down all units at its 191,000 barrels-per-day refinery, although port officials clarified there was no link between the power failure and the explosion.