Vox-Maxima Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

In a significant legal development, four Dutch crew members of the Van Oord dredger 'Vox Maxima' have confessed to criminal negligence in a trial concerning a major oil spill incident off Singapore’s coast on June 14, 2024. On March 12, 2025, before a Singaporean court, Richard Ouwehand, 49, Martin Hans Sinke, 48, Eric Peijpers, 56, and 26-year-old Merijn Heidema each pleaded guilty to charges under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 related to their responsibilities during this environmental disaster. The 'Vox Maxima', which experienced engine failure, collided with the bunker tanker 'Marine Honour' (IMO: 9422811), leading to a large fuel oil leak. This incident resulted in the largest oil spill in Singapore over the past decade, contaminating various locations, including a beach park and a nature reserve. The prosecutor, Regina Lim, reported that the cleanup operations spanned two months. Among the crew was the captain and the first mate, alongside two engineers who failed to adhere to their obligations before taking over the engineering watch. The prosecution seeks fines ranging from 20,000 to 50,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 14,000 to 34,000 euros) for each individual involved. The incident stemmed from a malfunction in the electrical system; specifically, the circuit breaker connected to the starboard step-down transformer was opened for maintenance, leaving the vessel without power from its starboard generator. As Peijpers and Heidema prepared the 'Vox Maxima' for its journey to ST Engineering Marine’s Tuas shipyard, they neglected to check the circuit breaker’s status, which ultimately led to a critical loss of electrical power. This failure halted operations on vital systems, such as steering, resulting in the dredger colliding with the 'Marine Honour'. The damage inflicted on the bunker tanker included at least six ballast tanks, ten cargo oil tanks and a slop port tank, with repair costs projected to exceed $6.6 million. The prosecution plans to impose fines of $20,000 to $30,000 for Ouwehand and Sinke, while Heidema and Peijpers may face fines of $40,000 to $50,000 each. For their negligence, the crew members face potential penalties of up to $50,000, two years of imprisonment, or both. Sentencing is expected on April 2, 2025.

On November 6, four crew members of the dredger 'Vox Maxima', including the captain, were officially charged for failing to execute their responsibilities as mandated by the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. This legal action follows an oil spill incident that took place on June 14 in Singapore. The vessel experienced a critical loss of steering control and collided with the tanker 'Marine Honour', which was moored at Pasir Panjang Terminal. This unfortunate allision resulted in the breach of one of the vessel's tanks, causing approximately 400 tons of Very Low Sulfur Fuel oil to leak into the surrounding waters. A preliminary investigation revealed 13 deficiencies aboard the dredger, with three deficiencies deemed severe enough to warrant vessel detention until corrective measures were implemented. The next court hearing for the charged crew members is scheduled for December 4.

On July 2, a significant debate unfolded in Parliament concerning the oil spill incident at Pasir Panjang Terminal. Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, and National Development Minister Desmond Lee addressed a barrage of questions related to the government's spill response strategies, fielding inquiries from 23 Members of Parliament (MPs) across the political spectrum. In the session, Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin from Ang Mo Kio GRC raised concerns regarding the standard operating procedures (SOPs) designed to manage such incidents, while other MPs, including Mr Alex Yam from Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC and Mr Edward Chia from Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, probed into the financial aspects of the cleanup process. The incident itself occurred on June 14 at 2:18 p.m., when the vessel 'Vox Maxima' lost both engine and steering functions, colliding with the 'Marine Honour' docked at the terminal. The following day, on June 15, oil leakage from the 'Marine Honour' impacted popular coastal areas such as Sentosa and East Coast Park. While a contractor struggled to deploy containment booms in adverse weather conditions, leading to a delay of nearly 15 hours, the response to the situation came under scrutiny in Parliament. Workers’ Party MP Louis Chua from Sengkang GRC questioned the mandated response times for varying levels of oil spills. In his response, Chee highlighted the complexities of oil spills, emphasizing that each scenario is unique. The density of the oil, which closely resembled seawater, further complicated detection and containment efforts. Chee reiterated that the responding authorities adhered to internationally recognized practices in managing the spill. He detailed how dispersants were initially used to break down the oil, making cleanup more manageable. By 5:15 a.m. on June 15, the contractor T&T Salvage Asia managed to deploy 200 meters of booms despite continued poor weather conditions. Chee clarified that while the intention was to prevent additional leakage from the still-fueled vessel, swift deployment faced natural obstacles such as ocean currents and diminished visibility. Meanwhile, MP Gerald Giam of Aljunied GRC raised the prospect of whether the booms could have been set up more efficiently. Chee responded that response strategies have been refined over the years through expert input and that a gap in deployment time is common in significant spill events. Addressing the economic considerations of spill response, Chee pointed out that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) possesses in-house capabilities, including vessel resources. However, he emphasized the necessity of collaboration with skilled contractors and regional partners to ensure effective spill management. The critical takeaway from this parliamentary discourse is the reminder that oil spill containment is a collective effort requiring collaboration among various stakeholders.