FLOATING BOMB
Ruby with its cargo of ammonium nitrate would pass through the shipping channel under the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark (L-BBE -- CC BY 3.0 Deed)Published Sep 21, 2024 5:14 PM by The Maritime Executive
The saga of the bulker Ruby, laden with a potentially explosive cargo, continues with the authorities in Northern Europe closely tracking the vessel’s movements. The resolution of the situation remains unclear as the ship continues to hold 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate which is causing concern over the dangerous nature of the cargo under certain conditions. Reports say it has seven times the amount of the material that caused the devastating explosion in Beirut in 2020.
The vessel arrived off Denmark on Friday, September 20, continuing to declare it is bound for Klaipeda, Lithuania where it was scheduled to undergo repairs. The vessel’s hull cracked in an Arctic storm in late August, which was confirmed in a Port State inspection in Norway. Media reports are saying the rudder and propeller are also damaged.
Ruby has been holding near the entrance to the Skagerrak, the first leg of the passage around Denmark and into the Baltic. The vessel has been sitting there for approximately 48 hours with an anchor handler tug, Amber II, also registered in Malta, appearing to be escorting the ship. For a time earlier in the week, the vessel was displaying an AIS message of not under command likely being towed by the tug.
The Swedish Coast Guard believes the vessel may be holding in its current position waiting for additional instructions from its managers. The indications are that the vessel although owned by Syrian interests is operating under charter to a company based in the UAE. As of Sunday, both the Danes and Swedes are saying they believe the managers are continuing to work on a location to offload the cargo and as such the ship was instructed to wait south of Norway for further instruction.
The Danish Maritime told the local media that it is aware of the vessel. In a statement to the Danish broadcaster, DR, the Authority reports it has placed several restrictions on the vessel that has limited maneuverability as it seeks to transit Danish waters into the Baltic.
The reports indicate that Denmark is requiring Ruby to make the transit with a Danish pilot aboard. Also, the bulker is required to have a tug accompanying the transit. So far, as of late on Sunday, the vessel has not made the request for the pilot. Previously, it was through the ship would make the transit during the weekend,
Swedish authorities have confirmed that they are also following the movements of the ship. They understand that Denmark has also issued a general warning to all shipping in the area for caution and to maintain a maximum distance from Ruby during the transit.
The current risk from the ship is low according to the Swedish Coast Guard. They believe that the protocols for the transport of the dangerous material are being followed, but they too are monitoring the movement of the ship.
The previous public statements from the government of Lithuania were that the ship would not be permitted to enter Klaipeda unless it first offloaded its cargo. The Western Shipyard in that city won a tender to repair the vessel.
The ship has been caught in its current situation since August. It loaded the cargo in Russia and was making a trip it declared to the Canary Islands when it encountered a storm and sought refuge in the sheltered waters of Norway. It was permitted to dock in Tromsø but later ordered to move to a remote area outside the city due to the nature of the cargo. Unconfirmed reports in the Lithuanian media said the owners had sought to offload the cargo in Norway so that the ship could proceed to a yard for repairs. The authorities in Malta as the ship’s flag state, DNV and its class society, and its insurers have been working to find a solution to the current situation.
Top photo by L-BBE in 2013 -- CC BY 3.0 DEED
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