As the Baltic Sea Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA) announced in its Notice to Mariners 325/25 on Monday, 27 October, the beacon with the directory number 202400 (C1215) was "extinguished until further notice". Shipping was requested to navigate the area in question with appropriate caution. The red and white tower at the entrance to the Bay of Kiel serves as an important guiding light for shipping. The cause of the failure is thought to be a fault in the shore power cable, which supplies the metal halide lamp at a height of 30 metres with electricity. The responsible office announced that the power supply has been restored via the emergency power supply since Friday 31 October. The notice to mariners has not yet been deactivated again "for safety reasons". However, until the damage has been localised and repaired, the beacon is now secured via the two emergency generators.
Since the Baltic storm surge two years ago, there has been considerable damage to the lighthouse: Storm surge damage: fears for the Kiel lighthouse
Effects on shipping
Sailors know Kiel lighthouse as the approach to the fjord and waterside landmark of the Schleswig-Holstein state capital. Since it went into operation in 1967, in addition to its function as a beacon, it has also served as a transfer station for the pilots operating between Kiel, Flensburg, Lübeck and Denmark. Since the devastating Baltic storm surge, however, it can no longer be used as a pilot station. During the night of 20/21 October 2023, the foundations were partially flooded, causing considerable damage. Since then, the pilots have had to be driven from Laboe to the ships at sea and picked up from there. To replace the accommodation in the lighthouse, holiday flats were rented in Laboe for the pilots and the crews of the pilot boats.
Not the only dark lighthouse
In May, the Buk lighthouse on the Bay of Mecklenburg was switched off for repairs: Mecklenburg Bay: Buk lighthouse back in operation. And the Kalkgrund lighthouse, which marks a shoal in the middle of the entrance to the Flensburg Fjord between Geltinger Birk and the Danish island of Alsen, has also been without light for months: Flensburg Fjord: Kalkgrund lighthouse cancelled. According to information from the WSA, a defective shore power cable is also the reason for the failure. The office speaks of storm surge damage. The extensive repair work on the main power supply is still ongoing. Kalkgrund actually has a backup power supply, just like Kiel. However, this has also been down since the spring and is currently undergoing maintenance, according to the WSA. It could be put back into operation shortly. In the meantime, cardinal buoys are displayed as a warning. The neighbouring Falshöft lighthouse, on the other hand, remains dark. It was already switched off in 2002 after the German and Danish authorities came to the conclusion that the Kalkgrund and Kegnæs beacons on the Danish side were sufficient.
