One dead in blast at Rotterdam port energy facility

On Thursday, a blast at a petroleum storage facility at the Rotterdam port in the Netherlands resulted in one death and multiple injuries, with the cause yet to be determined, according to officials. Gunvor, a prominent energy commodities trading firm, reported an "incident" during maintenance work on a storage tank. Police spokespersons indicated no immediate evidence of sabotage, and all potential explanations are currently under investigation.

Rotterdam, Europe's largest port, houses oil refineries, liquefied natural gas terminals, and a multitude of petrochemical facilities. Major energy corporations like Shell, ExxonMobil, BP, and Gunvor Energy are active at the port.

The explosion took place around 11:30 a.m. Gunvor stated they are cooperating with local authorities, while Shell confirmed that their operations at the port were unharmed. Rotterdam Port officials also noted that LNG terminals remained unaffected. However, ExxonMobil shut down all units at its 191,000-barrels-per-day Rotterdam refinery due to a subsequent power cut, as reported by consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

ExxonMobil had not yet responded to a request for further information. Rotterdam port authorities explicitly denied any link between the blast and the power outage.