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Ship carrying explosive fertiliser heads to UK waters
A Maltese-flagged cargo ship carrying thousands of
tonnes of potentially explosive fertiliser is set to travel
through UK waters.
Ruby, which was earlier accompanied by an escort tug,
has reportedly been rejected by several countries due to
its cargo.
The ship, which has 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate
on board, was previously damaged but deemed
seaworthy by authorities in Norway.
HM Coastguard is in contact with the vessel, which
according to ship tracking data, was in the North Sea off
the Kent coast on Thursday morning.
The ship, owned by Maltese firm Ruby Enterprise, set off
from the northern Russian port of Kandalaksha in July.
The national maritime emergency service said it will
monitor the ship's progress as it heads towards and
through UK waters.
Vessels are not required to ask permission to travel
through UK territorial waters for legitimate purposes.
An escorting tug, Amber II, which had sailed with the boat
from Norway, left the Ruby on Thursday morning and
sailed east. Its current destination is listed as Rotterdam,
in the Netherlands.
Though there is no suggestion of immediate danger from
the cargo, the same chemical caused a devastating blast
at a Beirut warehouse in 2020.
Ammonium nitrate is regularly transported around the
world and used as fertiliser but is also used in explosives.
The ship is carrying seven times the amount of
ammonium nitrate that caused the Beirut explosion.
Ruby's location on Thursday, according to Marine Traffic.
Marine Traffic data suggested the ship was in the North
Sea on Thursday.
Soon after departing Russia, the Ruby briefly ran
aground after reportedly encountering a storm.
It then continued its journey around the Kola Peninsula
and docked in Tromsø, Norway.
Norway's Maritime Authority told the BBC the vessel was
inspected by DNV Group to ensure it met safety and
environmental standards.
The group found damage to its hull, propeller and rudder,
but the Ruby was still deemed "seaworthy".
As a precaution, DNV Group, and the Maltese flag
registry, insisted that a tug escort the vessel for the
remainder of its journey.
The ship was bound for Klaipeda, in Lithuania, according
to ship tracking firm MarineTraffic.
But despite being deemed seaworthy, the ship was
denied entry to Klaipeda. Algia Latakas, the port
authority's chief executive, told the BBC that this was
"because of its cargo".
Andrea Sella, professor of chemistry at University
College London, said the cargo was not high risk, unless
there was a fire on board.
"While I understand the caution of the authorities in
Troms, I suspect that the chances of a similar disaster to
Beirut are relatively modest," she said.
She added: "It would also be interesting to know what the
nature of the repairs might be as clearly welding might
significantly raise the potential fire risk."
Other reports suggested Sweden had imposed a ban as
well, but Sweden's transport agency denies this.
"What the Swedish authorities did was to follow the
matter in case we would have needed to act in some
way," a spokesperson told the BBC.
In recent weeks, the Ruby travelled south along Norway's
coast and through the North Sea.
The ship reportedly has had restricted manoeuvrability,
though the BBC has been unable to confirm this.
On 25 September, it anchored about 15 miles (25km)
north east of Margate, in Kent, near the Dover Strait -
one of the world's busiest waterways.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the
vessel is "currently securely anchored outside UK
territorial waters waiting for appropriate conditions to
refuel at sea before passing through the English
Channel".
Refuelling at sea is a common practice and will take
place in accordance with safety procedures and in
favourable weather, said the MCA.
Its current destination is listed as Marsaxlokk, in Malta.
But Maltese authorities have told local media that the
ship can only enter the country if it empties its cargo
beforehand.
Marco Forgione, director general of the Chartered
Institute of Export & International Trade, raised concerns
about potential "environmental damage".
"Should the ammonium nitrate start to leak out of the ship
and contaminate the sea... shipping through the channel
would have to be diverted to avoid further shifting the
pollution through its waters," he said.
He added that damage as a result of the potential
scenario would be "immense" and cause "ongoing
disruption".
The vessel has appropriate safety certificates approved
by the vessel's flag state and is able to make its own
way, said the MCA.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62g95721leo
