DE SCHUTTEVAER – Moerdijk, December 19, 2025, 5:06 PM
ATM Moerdijk, the only place in the Netherlands where ships can degas, had to shut down operations for a day on Thursday, December 18. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) closed the waste processing company due to ‘serious ADN violations’. One day later, ATM was able to resume operations.
Else Van Andel Moerdijk, December 19, 2025, 5:06 PM
ILT identified the violations during an inspection. Photo ANP
This is confirmed by an ILT spokesperson to Schuttevaer. ‘Following an inspection by the ILT, operations at ATM were shut down. Multiple serious ADN violations were identified.’ ADN stands for an international treaty with rules for the safe transport of dangerous substances over rivers and canals. What the violations identified during the inspection specifically entailed cannot be disclosed by ILT. ‘That is between the ILT and the supervised party.’
Following the shutdown of operations, ATM worked hard to bring the situation back into compliance with ADN according to ILT. ‘Both physical measures such as repairs and the development of an action plan for addressing the violations and cooperation with an ADN safety advisor led to the imposed measure being lifted on Friday’, according to the spokesperson.
KBN Response
According to Maurits van der Linde of Royal Dutch Inland Shipping (KBN), this situation particularly emphasizes the vulnerability of the system. ‘ATM is almost a monopolist in the system of collecting vapors and wash waters. When something like this happens, you see how vulnerable everything is. We now run the risk of disruption occurring, that logistics flows suffer damage. This causes direct damage to ship owners – who must remain idle – and to the logistics system as a whole, because there are few or no alternatives. If ships cannot dispose of their vapors and wash waters, they are no longer operational and we cannot fulfill our delivery obligations. This also has an impact on society.’
The shutdown of operations at ATM should therefore be a wake-up call for shippers, government and inland shipping itself, believes Van der Linde. ‘Now this is the scenario, but in the future other scenarios could also play out that could cause ATM to be shut down for a long time. Think of technical defects, malfunctions or incidents. It is important to look at alternatives, such as mobile installations, because now we are too vulnerable. And in addition, I also want to emphasize that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure adequate infrastructure.’