Shipping company steps back following the oil spill in Blekinge, Sweden

Following the major oil spill in Hanö Bay, Sweden, in 2023, the shipping company TT-Line has refused to pay a water pollution charge. However, the appeal has now been withdrawn, reports SVT Nyheter Blekinge.

The Coastguard has demanded 1.2 million kronor from TT-Line. The decision was appealed, but the shipping company has now concluded that it is not financially viable to pursue the case any further.

The prosecutor has told SVT that, as a result, the Coastguard’s demand for payment stands.

At least 60,000 litres of oil leaked into the sea after the passenger ship Marco Polo ran aground off the coast of Blekinge on 22 October 2023.

^{Cover image: A swan covered in heavy fuel oil on the shore outside Krokås harbour near Hörvik in Blekinge, following the grounding of the passenger ship Marco Polo in October 2023. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT}