The Port of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire has decided to keep a vessel carrying ammonium nitrate offshore while it addresses safety concerns raised by the local community and media.
Reports in Côte d’Ivoire suggested that the ammonium nitrate cargo on the vessel might be contaminated and potentially unstable. The vessel is carrying nearly 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which was originally shipped from Russia last summer. In a statement on 4 January, the Port Authority announced its decision to hold the vessel offshore while they scheduled a meeting on 6 January with the cargo’s buyer, the carrier, and customs officials.
The vessel, named Zimrida, had arrived off Ivory Coast on 30 December and had been scheduled to dock on 6 January in Abidjan. According to the statement, the plan was to offload 3,000 tons of the fertilizer which is in bags. The cargo was originally shipped onboard the Ruby, a controversial Russia-linked bulk carrier, in August 2024. The vessel’s cargo, some of which had been discharged at sea due to contamination, was transferred then to Zimrida.
Furthermore, campaigners had expressed concern about the condition of the cargo, which has been refused entry in other ports.
The ship “does not represent any danger for the port facilities, even less so for the population”, the Port Authority said in a statement, adding that it had taken necessary precautions. The Authority also commented that there is therefore no specific danger in the cargo intended for the Ivorian loader being unloaded in Abidjan Port before the ship returns to the sea.
