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fullscreen Shipyard cranes in the Port of Gothenburg. Archive image. Photo: Helena Landstedt/TT
An emergency port on the Swedish coast, protection for people and the environment may become current measures regarding the vessel MV Ruby and its potentially explosive cargo. The County Administrative Board in Västra Götaland coordinates in the event of a possible crisis situation and monitors the situation closely.
MV Ruby is now being towed on its way from Norway past Sweden and Denmark towards Lithuania.
The ship, loaded with ammonium nitrate, has not yet sought a port of emergency in Sweden. If that happens, it will be a decision made by the Swedish Transport Agency, other authorities and municipalities, explains Pehr Johansson at the County Administrative Board in Västra Götaland, who leads the special organization surrounding the incident.
– We are currently looking in consultation at which ports could be relevant along the west and south coast. It’s about capacity to receive such a large ship, he says.
When the ship was in port in Tromsø, Norway, a safety zone of 500 meters was established, and this may apply here as well.
– A 500-meter safety zone sounds completely reasonable because the substance is considered explosive under the right conditions.
Another risk that the county administration is looking at is if the ship’s damage worsens and the cargo leaks into the sea.
That ammonium nitrate is transported on land and at sea is in itself not unusual, emphasizes Johansson.
– What made us pay attention to this is both the nature of the cargo but also the fact that the ship is confirmed to be damaged.
– The authorities are on their toes in all aspects.