Ruby offloads explosive cargo ahead of repairs
The vessel is awaiting repairs after sustaining hull and rudder damage
(Source: Getty Images)
After a long wait at anchorage, Ruby, the hull-damaged vessel carrying 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, has docked at Great Yarmouth in the UK to offload its dangerous cargo, ready to be unloaded and eventually repaired.
The vessel briefly went out to sea this week, at a distance of around 12 km, in order to dump a small proportion of the ammonium nitrate cargo, said to be ‘contaminated’, in the sea. Although authorities were not forthcoming about the source or exact nature of the contamination, contaminated ammonium nitrate is known to be highly unstable and explosive.
The remaining cargo is being offloaded and transferred to UAE-managed bulk carrier, Barbados-flagged Zimrida.
“After investigations by the HSE and Port, a small quantity of contaminated cargo was found on the Ruby. This has now been successfully removed,” a Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson told Ship Repair Newsletter. “A decision was reached between the shipowner and port operator to allow the vessel to return to Great Yarmouth port to continue transferring its remaining safe cargo.
“Expert HSE inspectors will be portside to monitor the offloading process, and the crew will continue to maintain a 24/7 watch on the vessel and its cargo. We continue to work at pace to make sure the operation can be undertaken as quickly and as safely as possible."
