Netherlands ship banned over ammonium nitrate storage concerns
By Giselle Wakatama
ABC Newcastle
Topic:Marine Transport Industry
6m ago6 minutes agoWed 11 Dec 2024 at 8:43pm
Ships docked at the Port of Newcastle, aerial view.
Ammonium nitrate was unloaded from the banned ship Marsgracht when it was docked in Newcastle four times in 2024. (ABC News: John Gunn)
In short:
The ship Marsgracht has been banned from Australian ports for 180 days due to repeated detentions for improper stowage of class 1 explosives.
The ship's owner says it has strict rules for stowage.
What's next?
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority says it will monitor the ship closely.
A Netherlands-flagged cargo ship has been temporarily banned from entering Australian ports due to safety fears over its storage of ammonium nitrate.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said the Marsgracht, operated by the company Spliethoff, was detained for improper stowage of dangerous goods at Port Alma in Queensland's Rockhampton region last month.
As a result, AMSA issued a "refusal of access direction" to the ship, banning the vessel from entering Australian ports for six months.
Ammonium nitrate is not explosive unless exposed to high temperatures and mixed with organic substances.
International Transport Workers' Federation coordinator Ian Bray said a deadly explosion at Beirut Port in 2020 caused by ammonium nitrate showed failures on the Marsgracht could not be under-estimated.
The refusal of access order comes nine months after the ship was detained at the same Queensland port for improper stowage of dangerous goods — contrary to the International Maritime Organization's International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code.
The order states "repeated detentions for improper stowage of class 1 explosives and multiple detentions of company ships".
Ship banned from Australia.
The Marsgracht has been banned after repeated detentions for improper stowage of class 1 explosives. (Supplied: Australian Maritime Safety Authority)
'Systemic failures'
AMSA declined the ABC's request for an interview, but responded to several questions in writing about the risks posed and seriousness of the breaches.
"Spliethoff failed to demonstrate an ability to ensure safe operational practices across its fleet," a spokesperson said.
"AMSA acted swiftly to guarantee the safety and protection of seafarers, the public and our precious marine and coastal environments."
AMSA said the detention was the fourth for a Spliethoff-operated ship failing to comply with the IMDG code's requirements for stowage of dangerous goods since 2022.
This year the Marsgracht has docked four times in Newcastle and at Queensland's Port Alma, as well as visiting Port Kembla in the Illawarra, south of Sydney.
An aerial shot of a container ship entering a port
The ship has docked at the Port of Newcastle. (Supplied: Port of Newcastle)
The ABC has obtained the company's temporary licence shipping details, showing on each visit to Newcastle it has been laden with 3,500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate.
Four days before it was issued with its ban, more than 7,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate was unloaded in Port Alma.
In a statement, Spliethoff confirmed the ban and said it took the message from AMSA "with the utmost seriousness".
"[Spliethoff] has immediately taken steps to rectify the matter and is undertaking an internal investigation," the statement read.
"Once completed the results will be shared with AMSA and other parties involved, ensuring that the necessary steps are taken to ensure that any vessel entering Australian waters and managed by the company meets the stringent conditions required."
'Tip of the iceberg'
The 2020 Beirut disaster resulted from 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploding.
It had been confiscated by Lebanese authorities from the deteriorating and abandoned ship MV Rhosus and stored in a warehouse for six years, before catching fire.
It was one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded — the blast killed more than 200 people, wounded thousands and was felt in Cyprus, more than 240 kilometres away.
Mr Bray said the Beirut tragedy should be front and centre when shipping and port officials handled and stored ammonium nitrate.
"I think the banning of this ship is only the tip of the iceberg in regards to a series of unfortunate events like the explosion in the Port of Beirut," he said.
Mr Bray said his fears were heightened by the fact it was a foreign-crewed vessel.
"The foreign seafarers on these ships aren't vetted to the same standard as Australian workers working in the ports," he said.
The ship's ban expires in May and AMSA said it would be watching developments.
"Once the ban expires, the Marsgracht will be subject to an increased frequency of inspections by AMSA, if the ship returns to an Australian port," AMSA said.
On its website Spliethoff says "it has very strict rules in place for loading, lashing and securing cargo, which means we can ensure that the cargo is handled very carefully".
The Marsgracht is now docked in Mumbai.
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Posted6m ago6 minutes agoWed 11 Dec 2024 at 8:43pm
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