Damaged ship loaded with 20k tons of ammonium nitrate towed from Norway to Lithuania
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A damaged cargo ship carrying Ammonium Nitrate is being towed at sea between Denmark and Norway. When the ship first anchored in Tromsø, Norwegian authorities established a 500-meter safety zone due to its cargo of 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate.
The damaged ship MV Ruby, loaded with tens of thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate, has been stationary between Denmark and Norway since last Friday at the shipping company's request.
The ship, reportedly carrying an explosive cargo of ammonium nitrate, is currently located off the coast of Norway but is said to be en route past Denmark and Sweden, heading towards Lithuania. According to maritime tracking websites, the ship is listed as "not under command," meaning it is currently being towed slowly southeast with the help of a tugboat.
The ship's cargo has attracted attention from both the media and authorities.
Photo Credit: A generic container ship at sea. Public Domain photo by Raw Pixel.
Very powerful explosive - also the world's most common fertilizer
Ammonium nitrate has been a main ingredient in home made bombs used in several terrorist attacks, like the attack in downtown Oslo in 2011.
It was the chemical ammonium nitrate which caused the large, deadly explosion in the Port of Beirut in 2020.
Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter reports that protocols from Swedish authorities estimate the explosive power of the cargo to be similar to that of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki nuclear bombs, and that there is a risk of a tsunami effect in the event of an explosion.
However, police also assess that the likelihood of an explosion is low. Ammonium nitrate is not explosive on its own; it is used for fertilizers and must be mixed with organic material and / or exposed to high heat to detonate.
Mattias Lindholm from the Swedish Coast Guard told SVT that there are many transports of ammonium nitrate across the world and there is no need to worry about an accident.
"I don't think there's any need to be concerned; that seems unnecessary," he said.
Norwegian authorities believe there is no cause for alarm
"I have been quite surprised by some of the media coverage suggesting this is a floating bomb – that couldn't be further from the truth," said Dag Inge Aarhus, communications chief at the Norwegian Maritime Authority, adding:
"The ship currently poses no greater risk than when it is under normal operation. The ship is approved, and it’s a completely normal cargo for a freight vessel."
Recently , the Danish Maritime Authority has told Swedish Television that new information regarding the ship's route is expected at the beginning of next week.
In early September, MV Ruby ran aground while being loaded in a Russian port on the Kola Peninsula. The ship sustained damage to its propellers and rudder and sought refuge in the Norwegian port of Tromsø.
When the ship anchored in Tromsø, Norwegian authorities established a 500-meter safety zone due to its cargo of 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate.
The ship was assessed as needing repairs but could still be towed by a tugboat that had traveled from Rotterdam.
A decision on the ship’s route is expected early next week, according to the Danish authority. However, to be towed through Danish waters, the ship requires an additional tugboat and a pilot.