Norway must deal with a ship bomb damaged with 20,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, the substance that exploded and devastated Beirut
Norwegian authorities are responding to what they called a "port emergency" after learning that a cargo ship seeking a port of refuge is loaded with ammonium nitrate , the same chemical compound that caused the massive explosion in Beirut and which it has been used by terrorists to devastating effect. The news is reported by Maritime Executive .
Police in the Norwegian city of Tromsø released a statement saying the situation was "not desirable" but that it was a "completely routine operation" to move the cargo ship to a safer anchorage.
The Norwegian Maritime Directorate and several other government agencies were involved in the situation. They conducted a port state control on the tanker Ruby and ordered it detained after discovering damage to the hull. However, concern has also been raised due to the 20,000 tonnes of chemical which, under certain circumstances, becomes unstable and explosive.
According to reports, the Malta-registered and UAE-operated Ruby (37,000 dwt) entered the Norwegian economic zone on August 25 sailing in and out of the 12-mile territorial border in the area around Hammerfest. The ship is said to have been seeking shelter from a storm. On 26 August, the ship headed for Tromsø and anchored outside requesting a port of refuge.
Tromsø, port of Norway
The Norwegian Armed Forces were consulted and recommended a certain anchoring position before the ship entered Tromsø on 1 September.
The regional traffic manager told local media: "We did not know that the ship had this damage when it entered the Norwegian economic zone." He said they only found out about it after the ship dropped anchor.
The Ruby departed the northern Russian port of Kandalaksha on August 22 with a cargo bound for the Canary Islands. The vessel, which is 600 feet (183 meters) long, ran aground at some point, suffering damage to its hull, propeller and rudder.
Norwegian authorities have ordered that the vessel must undergo urgent temporary repairs before obtaining a permit and must then go to a shipyard for further work. Reports suggest the vessel will need to be towed.
It is unclear when Norwegian authorities determined the ship's cargo, but they came aboard for an inspection and consulted documents. The Directorate for Social Security and Emergency Preparedness has confirmed the cargo and, in cooperation with the Norwegian Coast Agency, wants the ship to come away from the city.
Tromsø is a city in northern Norway with a population of around 40,000 people and as many as 78,000 in the surrounding areas. It is a popular tourist destination. It is considered the northernmost city in the world.
Police said in their statement that the intent was to tow the cargo vessel to a “reasonable anchorage.” Several locations are being considered by the maritime authorities, but the police have assured that this is a routine operation carried out regularly.
In short, a big problem for the Tromsø authorities because an accident now or during emergency repairs would have enormous, devastating consequences on the Nordic city
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The article Norway must handle a ship bomb damaged with 20 thousand tons of ammonium nitrate, the substance that exploded devastating Beirut comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-norvegia-deve-gestire-una-nave-bomba-danneggiata-con-20-mila-tonnellate-di-nitrato-di-ammonio-la-sostanza-che-esplose-devastando-beirut/ on Fri, 06 Sep 2024 17:22:55 +0000.