A damaged ship containing thousands of tonnes of potentially explosive fertiliser has docked at a port in Norfolk.
The MV Ruby had originally loaded its ammonium nitrate cargo from Russia’s northern town of Kandalaksha in late August and was headed to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands when it suffered damage, according to the Norwegian newspaper, The Barents Observer.
The owners of the Maltese-flagged vessel have been in negotiations about where it could safely dock, according to MP Sir Roger Gale,
The MP for Herne Bay and Sandwich in Kent said it was initially anchored in the European Economic Zone outside the twelve-mile limit – representing the border for the UK’s territorial waters.
But it was moved inshore – eleven miles off the northern coast of Kent – due to bad weather in the North Sea.
Sir Roger recently tweeted the details of his meeting with the shipping minister, Mike Kane, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and other officials.
He posted: “I raised the issue of sanctions imposed upon the Russian Federation… but [was] led to believe that the legal situation is that because the ship itself is neither Russian-owned nor flagged, no international law has been broken or sanctions breached.”
Sir Roger added: “I do not believe my constituents face any threat to their security.”
MarineTraffic, which monitors the movement of shipping, traced the vessel to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.
Richard Goffin, port director, confirmed they were transferring the cargo to another vessel.
“The Port of Great Yarmouth has the capability to handle hazardous materials and the discharge and transhipment of such materials and cargo is common practice across our port group.
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“Our team is well-versed in implementing rigorous safety protocols and we strictly adhere to all UK safety regulations and international maritime standards.
“Our role is to ensure that the MV Ruby is able to safely discharge and continue with its onward journey.”
Peel Ports, which operates the port at Great Yarmouth, could not confirm when the transfer of ammonium nitrate would be completed.
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It has been widely reported the MV Ruby was loaded with 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate – a commonly used fertiliser.
In 2020, an explosion in the port of Beirut involving the same substance triggered a massive shockwave which killed more than 200 people and wounded thousands.
It is estimated the MV Ruby was loaded with more than seven times the amount estimated to have exploded in Lebanon’s capital after a fire broke out at the facility where it was being stored.
Officials in Lebanon blamed the unsafe storage of the material for the explosion.
However, experts say that ammonium nitrate is relatively safe when stored properly.
