It seems destined to sail forever. The cargo ship Ruby, carrying a Russian cargo of 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, a potentially explosive product, has been sailing for a week in the English Channel near the French coast after suffering a series of damages, observe several media and the specialized site Marine Traffic. The authorities of several countries are worried.
The 183 m long behemoth, which belongs to the Maltese company Ruby Enterprise, left the Russian town of Kandalakcha on August 22, loaded with ammonium nitrate, a cargo with high explosive potential, reports the BBC. Caught in a violent storm, the boat was forced to stop at the Norwegian port of Tromsø.
Except that the violent weather severely damaged the cargo ship: propulsion failure, rudder problem and even a cracked hull. The Norwegian authorities therefore ordered the Ruby to return to sea. The Maltese ship then asked to dock in Lithuania, a request firmly refused by Vilnius.
And for good reason, the Ruby’s cargo worries all the maritime authorities. Although it is frequently used as fertilizer, ammonium nitrate is also used in the manufacture of explosives. At the end of September, as the ship approached the English coast, the British daily The Telegraph expressed concern about perhaps seeing “a boat explode with the force of an atomic bomb”.
Memory of the Beirut explosion
“Ammonium nitrate is extremely explosive, especially when exposed to fire or contamination,” indicates the Center for European Policy Analysis (Cepa). Enough to recall the violent ammonium nitrate explosion that occurred in 2020 at the port of Beirut, which left 235 dead and more than 6,000 injured. 2,750 tonnes of this substance were stored in the Lebanese port, seven times less than what the Ruby contains.
Video“Repair this ship without tickling ammonium nitrate”: the “Ruby”, a cargo ship that no one wants
The French authorities are in any case reassuring. “We follow (the boat). We have direct links with the British authorities and with the shipowner which would allow us to intervene extremely quickly if necessary,” indicates Étienne Baggio, spokesperson for the Manche maritime prefecture, to BFMTV. He adds that in the event of a problem, a device would make it possible to assist the cargo ship “on the high seas”, without it having to stop at a French port.
In Malta, caution is also required within the maritime authorities. They have already warned that the Ruby will not be able to dock as long as it is carrying ammonium nitrate.
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