Bulk Carrier Carrying 20,000 Tons Of Explosive Fertiliser Dumps Some Of Its Cargo At Sea

The Malta-flagged cargo ship Ruby, carrying 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, has once again become the focus of a controversy after a weekend departure and return to Great Yarmouth, UK.

Allegations are that the ship has dumped contaminated cargo into the North Sea. Local officials have criticized the government’s decision to allow Ruby back into port, saying that the cargo posed major risks.

They said that the quantity of ammonium nitrate aboard was seven times the amount involved in the 2020 Beirut explosion, in which a large amount of ammonium nitrate which was stored at the port of Beirut exploded, killing at least 218 people and injuring 7,000. The explosion damaged property worth $15 billion, leaving about 3,00,000 people homeless.

Politicians accused the Secretary of State of negligence, saying that the ship should never have been allowed entry into Great Yarmouth.

Reports revealed that part of the cargo was found contaminated, raising safety concerns. According to the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), a “small quantity” of the contaminated fertilizer was identified and “successfully removed.”

Media reports say the ship left port on November 16, circling about 12 nautical miles offshore, before returning on November 18. Allegations are that the contaminated cargo had been discharged at sea.

A Peel Ports representative, the operator of Great Yarmouth port, said that the ship’s brief departure was for “operational reasons.” However, environmentalists warned that ammonium nitrate’s exposure to seawater could harm marine ecosystems, which could risk fish populations.

The Department for Transport defended its decision, saying that the operation followed safety guidelines provided by the MCA and Health & Safety Executive (HSE). They described the docking as a “commercial decision,” adding that there was no legal basis to refuse the entry of the vessel.

The Ruby had initially docked in Great Yarmouth in late October after months of being denied entry by multiple countries, including Norway, Sweden, and Lithuania.

Authorities in these countries were concerned about the safety due to damage sustained by the ship during a grounding incident in Norway in August. Temporary repairs were made, and the vessel was escorted by tugs under conditions imposed by its class society, DNV, and Malta, its flag state.

The ship’s operator, Serenity Shipping of the UAE, is currently transshipping the cargo to another vessel, the Barbados-flagged Zimrida. Some cargo has already been transferred, though delays occurred after the discovery of contamination.

Environmental groups criticized the disposal of contaminated ammonium nitrate at sea despite reassurances from government representatives who argued that ammonium nitrate is “not a persistent chemical” and would disappear in seawater.

The Ruby began grabbing international attention in September when Norwegian authorities ordered the vessel to leave Tromsø due to its explosive cargo. Since then, the vessel has faced constant criticism.

Reference: GreatYarmouthMercury