Policy – July 9, 2026
Norway: mercury leaking from Nazi wreck prompts fresh assessment
Norwegian authorities have recovered 22 mercury containers from the wreck of a German submarine off Norway’s west coast and say most were damaged and leaking.
The U-864 lies 150 metres below the surface off the island of Fedje, north of Bergen, in one of Norway’s main aquaculture regions.
The Norwegian Coastal Administration said around 80 percent of the recovered containers showed signs of damage and leakage. Significant amounts of mercury have already escaped into seabed sediments.
The submarine was carrying around 60 tonnes of mercury when it was sunk by the British submarine HMS Venturer on 9 February 1945. All 73 crew members were lost.
Authorities estimate around half a tonne of mercury has now been recovered from the wreck, including at least three or four intact containers. The material is being handled as hazardous waste.
Hans Petter Mortensholm, director of environmental preparedness at the Norwegian Coastal Administration, said the work had provided new information on the condition of the hull, the mercury containers and the extent of contamination around the bow.
The agency will use the findings to assess further measures at the wreck site. A report is due to be submitted to Norway’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries on 28 August.
