Owners of the cargo ship ‘Ruby’ seem to be desperately trying to find a place to dock and repair, after the vessel was damaged in a storm, but are being refused entry to several nearby ports.
The vessel, carrying 20 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, left the northern Russia port of Kandalaksha on August 22nd heading for Gran Canaria. The vessel briefly docked in the Norwegian port of Tromsø on September 3rd, after sustaining damage to its propeller, hull and rudder during the storm, but was ordered to depart the following day due to the explosive nature of its cargo. This week, the Lithuanian port of Klaipėda became the latest to refuse permission for the ship to dock.
Ammonium nitrate is categorised as class 5 dangerous goods and has the potential to cause massive explosions under certain conditions. The chemical compound is primarily used as a fertiliser and becomes highly volatile when exposed to heat, shock, or contamination with combustible materials like fuel.
The Beirut port explosion in 2020, which killed over 200 people, injured over 7,000 and left over 300,000 homeless, was caused by 2.7 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploding.
In the UK, one of our customers is only allowed to store up to 10 kgs of the product in their warehouse at any one time, which gives you some idea of the risks involved when a vessel is carrying 20,000 kgs.
Evolution Forwarding specialise in the movement of dangerous goods internationally, by air, ocean and road. We provide a complete solution which includes packing, documentation, compliance and training for dangerous goods products. For further information please email info@evolutionforwarding.com or call 0800 4346244.
