Loaded with ammonium nitrate, the “Ruby” runs aground off the coast of England

2024-10-19 13:40:00

Water bomb. A Maltese merchant ship loaded with 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was stranded near the English coast for weeks. Between the memory of Beirut and the economic risks, no one wants this floating time bomb.

The paradox is disturbing: a ship loaded with material capable of destroying a port remains blocked, because no port dares to welcome it. The “Ruby“, with its 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, has been wandering off the British coast for more than three weeks. If the memory of Beirut torments people’s minds, the authorities seem overwhelmed in the face of this critical situation. Why doesn’t anyone want this ship? The answer lies between complex logistics and economic risks.

The cargo ship, which left Russia last August, encountered a storm and suffered damage, but it is not the first time a ship loaded with dangerous goods has been refused access to European ports. “If the boat runs aground in a canal, your port remains closed for months,” explains Laurent Martens, general delegate of Armateurs de France, quoted byAFP. Between the astronomical cost of unloading operations and the dangers involved, ports are reluctant to accept this type of cargo.

But the real problem goes beyond simple logistics. Experts underline that it is ammonium nitrate intended for agriculture, much less dangerous than the explosive product at the origin of the Beirut tragedy. “We’re mixing things up, but I think we can totally handle this situation,” says Eric Slominski, a maritime expert. However, the potential danger and the Russian origin of the cargo weigh heavily on the ports’ decision to reject the “Ruby”.

Faced with this dilemma, fear and complexity seem to have taken over. Thus, the “Ruby” crystallizes the inability to manage risk: between paralyzed logistics and explosive memories, this merchant ship remains at the dock, adrift.