The saga of the damaged cargo vessel Ruby neared a conclusion with the transfer of her dangerous cargo to another vessel, Zimrida, which in turn reached the port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast at the end of December 2024.
Zimrida left Great Yarmouth on 16 December 2024 loaded with 19,700 tons of ammonium nitrate fertiliser which had been initially transported by Ruby. Having arrived off the coast of Abidjan on 30 December 2024, Zimrida waited for permission to dock.
This proximity has caused tensions in the Ivorian megacity, troubled since August 2006 by the illegal unloading of toxic waste from the tanker Probo Koala. Around 500 tons of residues produced during refining operations of an oil cut very rich in sulfur compounds carried out on board Probo Koala was dumped all around and in the Ivorian capital, causing, according to the official report, 100,000 cases of poisoning and 16 deaths.
The approach of Zimrida loaded with the Ruby’s cargo led Ivorian authorities to redouble their precautions and develop an information campaign. Ruby’s cargo, transhipped into Zimrida, was caricatured from the outset by a section of the world press as a ‘floating Hiroshima’, but Zimrida and her cargo were considered to meet sufficient safety conditions.
Zimrida unloaded 7,654 tonnes in Abidjan before continuing on her way and unloading the rest of the cargo in Luanda (Angola) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).
Robin des Bois believes that the Zimrida’s cargo of medium-dose ammonium nitrate fertiliser is no more dangerous than the others in its current state. The maritime trade in ammonium nitrate fertilisers is estimated at around 20 million tons per year.
Meanwhile, Ruby has been under repair on the Tyne since 5 December 2024.
Photo = Zimrida Under tow to the outer Harbour at Great Yarmouth with two tugs. (Paul Gowan/shipspotting.com)
