Photo: Thomas Frey

Salvors are now reported to be beginning a slow release of sulphuric acid from the capsized tank barge, Waldhof, which capsized in the Rhine on January 13th near the infamous Lorelei Rock, in hope of averting a larger uncontrolled acid spill on Europe’s largest inland waterway.

Salvage officials leak acid cargo into Rhine from capsized barge

Salvage officials began releasing the cargo of acid from a capsized barge into Germany’s Rhine river on Monday – to prevent greater environmental damage if the vessel breaks apart.

The Waldorf cargo boat capsized on January 13, on a stretch of the Rhine river notorious for a strong current and underwater rocks present to passing ships.

Had the ship broken, it would have threatened the safety of rescue workers and could have caused an uncontrollable reaction by releasing vast amounts of acid into the river, salvage officials said.

Instead, they are releasing 12 litres of sulphuric acid per second, which is diluted by the 1.6 million liters of water that flow down Europe’s biggest inland waterway every second.

The acid had been loaded by a BASF chemicals plant at Ludwigshafen, Germany. It was bound for the Belgian seaport of Antwerp.