Abidjan Port Implements Precautions for Hazardous Cargo

06 Jan 2025 CW Team

The port authority stated that, "Following allegations of damage to the cargo transported and as a precaution to protect the population and property," the ship would remain in the outer harbour. It also mentioned that port and customs officials would meet with the cargo and vessel owners on Monday morning to assess the situation in detail.

The port was scheduled to unload 3,000 tonnes of the controversial cargo. While ammonium nitrate is typically used as an agricultural fertiliser, it can also be used in the production of explosives. This cargo had previously raised concerns when an explosion of ammonium nitrate in Beirut in 2020 resulted in over 220 deaths, more than 6,500 injuries, and widespread destruction in the Lebanese capital.

This was not the first time the cargo had drawn attention. In August, the Ruby, a Handymax bulk carrier, left Russia with the 20,000 tonnes of fertiliser. After departing the port of Kandalaksha on August 22, it encountered a storm in the Barents Sea and sustained damage, eventually arriving at the Norwegian port of Tromso for inspection. However, the ship was ordered to leave and proceed to another port for repairs, assisted by a tugboat. After being turned away by Lithuania, which required the cargo to be unloaded before docking, the vessel anchored off southeast England for several weeks.

In early December, French environmental group Robin des Bois and several British media outlets reported that the cargo had been transferred to the Zimrida at the English port of Yarmouth. Abidjan's port authority reassured the Ivorian population in its statement on Saturday that all merchandise entering or leaving Ivorian ports undergoes strict checks.

Many residents still recall the August 2006 Probo Koala disaster, when toxic residues aboard a Panamanian-registered freighter arrived in Abidjan for treatment after being refused by the Dutch port of Amsterdam. An Ivorian sub-contractor improperly disposed of the waste at the city's garbage sites and in at least 18 other locations. Ivorian judges later concluded that more than 500 cubic metres (18,000 cubic feet) of spent caustic soda, oil residues, and water had killed 17 people and poisoned thousands more.

Officials at the Ivorian port of Abidjan announced that they were taking precautions ahead of the arrival of a ship carrying 20,000 tonne of potentially explosive ammonium nitrate. Campaigners had raised concerns about the condition of the cargo, which was set to arrive on Monday aboard the Barbados-flagged vessel, Zimrida. The port authority stated that, Following allegations of damage to the cargo transported and as a precaution to protect the population and property, the ship would remain in the outer harbour. It also mentioned that port and customs officials would meet with the cargo and vessel owners on Monday morning to assess the situation in detail. The port was scheduled to unload 3,000 tonnes of the controversial cargo. While ammonium nitrate is typically used as an agricultural fertiliser, it can also be used in the production of explosives. This cargo had previously raised concerns when an explosion of ammonium nitrate in Beirut in 2020 resulted in over 220 deaths, more than 6,500 injuries, and widespread destruction in the Lebanese capital. This was not the first time the cargo had drawn attention. In August, the Ruby, a Handymax bulk carrier, left Russia with the 20,000 tonnes of fertiliser. After departing the port of Kandalaksha on August 22, it encountered a storm in the Barents Sea and sustained damage, eventually arriving at the Norwegian port of Tromso for inspection. However, the ship was ordered to leave and proceed to another port for repairs, assisted by a tugboat. After being turned away by Lithuania, which required the cargo to be unloaded before docking, the vessel anchored off southeast England for several weeks. In early December, French environmental group Robin des Bois and several British media outlets reported that the cargo had been transferred to the Zimrida at the English port of Yarmouth. Abidjan's port authority reassured the Ivorian population in its statement on Saturday that all merchandise entering or leaving Ivorian ports undergoes strict checks. Many residents still recall the August 2006 Probo Koala disaster, when toxic residues aboard a Panamanian-registered freighter arrived in Abidjan for treatment after being refused by the Dutch port of Amsterdam. An Ivorian sub-contractor improperly disposed of the waste at the city's garbage sites and in at least 18 other locations. Ivorian judges later concluded that more than 500 cubic metres (18,000 cubic feet) of spent caustic soda, oil residues, and water had killed 17 people and poisoned thousands more.

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