A damaged cargo ship with 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate on board is causing unrest in the North Sea. No port wants to accept the ‘Ruby’.
Canterbury – The North Sea is currently the scene of a worrying situation caused by a cargo ship carrying dangerous cargo. The Maltese-flagged ship Ruby began its journey from Russia in mid-August carrying 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, a substance considered extremely risky in large quantities. British media have already described the ship as a “floating bomb”. The ship is now damaged and no port is ready to receive it.
On August 22nd, the “Ruby” left the port of Kandalaksha in Russia bound for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the Atlantic. After a storm, the ship sought shelter in the Norwegian port of Tromsø on September 3rd. It was loud there Seatrade Maritime News A number of significant defects were discovered during an inspection.
Damaged ship carrying dangerous cargo: Turned away for repairs
Cracks were discovered in the hull as well as damage to the ship’s propeller and rudder. In addition, some of the seafarers’ employment contracts had expired and there were violations of international security regulations (ISM). Nevertheless, due to the amount of ammonium nitrate loaded, Norway decided not to keep the ship in port because the fear of local residents was too great. There are residential buildings, a university and a hospital in the immediate vicinity of the harbor. After temporary repairs, the Ruby had to go back to sea to find a port for permanent repairs.
The “Ruby” is transporting 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, seven times the amount that detonated in the devastating explosion in the port of Beirut in 2020, which killed over 200 people. Therefore, even after leaving the Norwegian port in search of a repair port, the ship was repeatedly turned away, including by Sweden, Lithuania and its own flag state Malta.
Potentially dangerous ship off the coast of Great Britain: Coastguard monitoring behavior
According to the British news site Express For a short time it seemed as if the ship was heading towards the British River Thames. However, as there is no suitable port of call, the cargo ship is currently anchored off the coast of Great Britain. A spokesman for Britain’s Maritime and Coast Guard Agency said the agency is in contact with the ship to monitor its route through British waters.
Recently, however, it appeared that the Ruby would need a fuel delivery in order to continue its journey. Even then, new challenges would await the ship in the busy English Channel and the often stormy seas in the Bay of Biscay at this time of year.
Amid ongoing concerns about the danger, the ship’s owner, Ruby Enterprise, is working with UAE-based manager Serenity Ship Management to try to calm the situation. In a statement, the companies emphasized that the ammonium nitrate poses no risk to the ship, the crew or the environment. The “Ruby” also received approval from the classification society DNV and the Maltese flag state.
Company behind ‘floating bomb’ blames media reports for denials
Nevertheless, British port authorities have so far refused to accept the ship. “The speculation in the media has negatively impacted the ship’s ability to carry out routine work to transfer the ammonium nitrate cargo to another ship so that the Ruby can be repaired,” said a statement from Ruby Enterprises, issued by Seatrade Maritime News was quoted.
Some even suspect a Russian strategy related to the war in Ukraine behind the ship. The “Ruby” is therefore still looking for a way to reload the ammonium nitrate and have repairs carried out. (lismah)
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