The unloading of the remaining amount of zinc concentrate from a 180-meter-long bulk carrier from Hong Kong, berthed at the port of Szczecin, began on Friday after firefighters announced that gas concentration standards had not been exceeded.
“Some 1,500 tonnes of zinc concentrate are still to be unloaded. The entire operation should take around 24 hours,” PAP was told by a spokesperson of the Szczecin and Swinoujscie Ports. The spokesperson added that “harbour fire brigades, which have been monitoring the situation,” announced that “permissible gas concentration norms have not been exceeded.” The Lintan bulk carrier arrived in Szczecin (north-western Poland) on December 18 from Salalah, Oman, carrying zinc concentrate. Such shipments have been quite regular in Szczecin for years but this time the situation looked different, the daily Gazeta Wyborcza wrote. “This is a dangerous situation since the cargo has likely become wet and has started to emit hydrogen. And this means that there is a risk of explosion,” the daily reported, adding that, according to unofficial information, the holds have been filled with gas in order to remove oxygen and eliminate the factor leading to fire and explosion.