The ship was allowed to dock due to bad weather in the North Sea, according to local authorities. The potentially explosive cargo will be transferred to another ship.
The port of Great Yarmouth has the capacity to handle hazardous materials, and unloading and reloading of such materials and goods is common practice in our port group, says harbour master Richard Goffin to the channel.
The Malta-flagged ship was loaded in a Russian port on the Kola Peninsula and suffered hull damage in the process. Shortly afterwards, the ship sought refuge in Tromsö, Norway, and a 500-meter safety zone was established. Due to the risks, the ship was forced to leave Tromsö. It was then towed and drifted southwards.
The ship was denied entry to Lithuania and was redirected to Malta, but was also denied docking there.
Ammonium nitrate was behind the massive explosion in Beirut's harbour in Lebanon in 2020 – albeit in much smaller quantities. However, if handled correctly, it should not pose any danger, and the substance is handled daily in, among others, Swedish harbours.
Corrected: In an earlier version of the text, the nationality of the ship was incorrectly stated in the headline.
