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The ship that nobody wants sets anchor in UK waters
A damaged Maltese-flagged cargo ship carrying thousands of tonnes of potentially explosive fertiliser is moored off the east coast of the UK.
The vessel, nicknamed Ruby, which is carrying seven times the amount of ammonium nitrate that caused the Beirut explosion, has reportedly been rejected by several countries due to its cargo.
The ship has 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate on board. Despite being damaged with a cracked hull, it has been deemed seaworthy by authorities in Norway..
HM Coastguard officials will continue to monitor its progress towards and through UK waters, but questions remain as to why the ship had not been ordered to return to Russia.
HM Coastguard is in contact with the vessel, which according to Marine Traffic Global Ship Tracker, was in the North Sea off the Kent coast on Wednesday 2 October.
The ship, owned by Maltese firm Ruby Enterprise, set off from the northern Russian port of Kandalaksha in July.
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.
Ammonium nitrate is regularly transported around the world and used as fertiliser but is also used in explosives.
Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen, a defence analyst at Nordic Defense Analysis and a former naval officer told Danish media: "One can question whether it is at all justifiable for the ship to be allowed to sail. There are several reasons for this.
"It has cracks in the hull. It has rudder problems. It can no longer sail by itself, but must be towed.
"This is a ship that nobody wants, but that nobody can get rid of."
According to marine tracking data, Ruby's final destination is Malta. To get there, it is looking to enter the Dover Strait and to undertake its onward journey,
In order to continue its journey, the vessel's captain must report its presence, including ship condition and any hazardous cargo, to the British authorities.
The captain has also been told by the Maltese transport ministry that the vessel must empty its cargo before entering their waters.
Logistics UK’s Dangerous Goods Information Manager, Percy Thrower said: "When dangerous goods are carried at sea, they are covered by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code).
"This code ensures that, like ADR, the dangerous goods are carried in a controlled and safe manner.
"Although the vessel may be damaged, but seaworthy, the dangerous goods on board would be carried under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code). This code ensures that, like ADR, the dangerous goods are carried in a controlled and safe manner which reduces the risk of an incident.”
Vessels are not required to ask permission to travel through UK territorial waters for legitimate purposes.
Published On: 03/10/2024 13:40:00
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