Recycling News

Offshore installation and decommissioning contractor Allseas said Tuesday it had successfully removed and transported to shore Repsol Norge’s 30,000-tonne Gyda platform "in a matter of days."According to the company, Allseas' Pioneering Spirit, the world's largest offshore construction ship, delivered Gyda platform’s 11,000-tonne jacket to Aker Solutions’ disposal yard in Stord, Norway, less than 48 hours after removing it from the southern Norwegian Sea. "The latest job for the vessel’s new jacket lift technology is one of the heaviest ever but well within the system’s 20…

The Recycling of Ships Bill 2019 for safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships in India has become an Act after receiving the assent of President of India.The government of India decided to bring this Act to provide for the regulation of recycling of ships by setting certain international standards and laying down the statutory mechanism for enforcement of such standards.The Government has also decided to accede to the Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009. Accordingly, India has acceded to the Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships…

Royal Belgian Shipowners' Association (RBSA) welcome the accession by the Government of India to the Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, also known as the HKC.Yesterday (November 28), India became the 15th Party State to the HKC, fulfilling at once one of the three criteria for the Convention’s entry into force.It is another significant step towards achieving more safe and environmentally sound ship recycling globally, as India is a major ship-recycling centre that can provide the international shipping industry with sufficient recycling capacity.In 2018, India received more than 250 vessels, counting for 4.7 five million gross tonnes, according to IHS Global Ldt, World Casualty Statistics.

India, one of the world's five major ship recycling countries, has acceded to the IMO Hong Kong Convention, the treaty that will set global standards for safe and environmentally-sound ship recycling.India's accession brings this important convention a significant step closer to entering into force, with the required 15 States now party to it and with India's ship recycling volume considerably contributing to the required recycling capacity.The Hong Kong Convention1 covers the design, construction, operation and maintenance of ships to ensure they can be recycled safely and in an environment-friendly way at the end of their lives. It also deals with how ships should be prepared for their final voyage to a recycling facility…

The international agri-based shipping company Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has joined the Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative (SRTI), a cross-sectoral coalition calling for increased transparency around ship recycling practices.The Netherlands-based cargo owner said in a press note that it is pleased to sign up to the SRTI as a cargo owner, bringing its support to transparent and responsible ship recycling as part of its philosophy to build awareness and work collaboratively.Sebastien Landerretche, Head of the Freight Platform for LDC said:  “This fits well with LDC’s overall environmental commitments, and with our ongoing cooperation with shipowners and other SSI members toward a more sustainable shipping industry.”“By signing up to the SRTI…

The Union Cabinet of India approved the proposal for enacting Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019 and accession to the Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships 2009.According to a governmental release, the proposed bill will restrict and prohibit the use or installation of hazardous material, which applies irrespective of whether a ship is meant for recycling or not.For new ships, such restriction or prohibition on use of hazardous material will be immediate, that is, from the date the legislation comes into force, while existing ships shall have a period of five years for compliance.Restriction or prohibition on use of hazardous material would not be applied to warships and non-commercial ships operated by Government.

The High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh declared the import, beaching and breaking of the infamous FPSO North Sea Producer illegal.The judgment was issued in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by NGO Shipbreaking Platform member organization Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA).The Court further noted with dismay the incessant violations of national and international laws by the shipbreaking industry, and passed several directions upon the government to regulate the sector in line with earlier rulings.Already in August 2017, the Bangladesh Court had issued an injunction on the ongoing breaking…

There has been a near absence of the demolition activity in tanker market this year, Gibson Shipbrokers said in its latest tanker market report. The scrapping likely to remain at low levels in the coming months, it added.During the first ten months of 2019, only 30 tankers over 25,000 dwt were reported sold for scrap. About half of all demolition activity has been in the Handy/MR size group, with 17 units removed since the beginning of the year.There were 3 Panamaxes/LR1s demolished and just 1 tanker in the LR2/Aframax size group. The count is marginally higher for larger crude carriers, with 5 Suezmaxes and 4 VLCCs sold for removals.Gibson said that this  is in stark contrast to developments last year, when over 150 units were scrapped.

The Ship Recycling project at the Turku Repair Yard in Naantali in Finland has been completed.In the three-year project, funded by Tekes, six vessels were dismantled and recycled on an experimental basis. The background of the project is the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, which states that after 2018, EU-flagged or European-owned vessels can only be recycled on shipyards approved for that purpose.In the past, majority of the world’s fleet has ended up being scrapped in Asia under conditions that do not meet European safety and environmental standards. There is a growing need for sustainable ship recycling in Europe due to tighter requirements…

Two workers recently died on the shipbreaking beach of Alang, India. Two separate accidents took place at well-known scrapping yards that have applied to be included in the EU list of approved ship recycling facilities.On July 29, 50 years old Subash Vishwakarma lost his life at Priya Blue yard - Plot V1. He was working on a ship when a metal plate fell on his head. He was transferred to the nearest hospital in bad condition and pronounced dead at arrival.On September 3, due to an explosion during cutting operations, one worker lost his life and one got severely injured at Shree Ram yard - Plot 78/81. Fellow workers that witnessed the tragic event were unwilling to share information with journalists.

With the oil and gas sector seeing a downturn since 2014, the Platform has documented an increasing number of offshore units sold for scrap.While the recycling of fixed installations occurs under strict regulations, there are serious concerns regarding the recycling of floating structures, which classify as vessels.Around 200 floating structures have been identified as scrapped globally since 2015 – an estimated 40% of these assets ended up on South Asian beaches, where they were broken up under conditions that cause irreparable damage to the coastal environment and put workers’ lives and health at risk.According to a latest report by NGO Shipbreaking Platform titled “Recycling Outlook: Decommissioning of North Sea Floating Oil & Gas Units”…

The international container terminal operating company  APM Terminals implemented global waste management standards across all of its operations one year ago.The first tangible results from the company’s head office are now available and provide a clear indication of the significant impact this is having on reducing the company’s environmental impact.APM Terminals issued new Waste Management Standards across its global operations in September 2018. The standards not only provide clear guidance on how waste can be treated or disposed of in a more environmentally sensitive manner, but more importantly, help identify opportunities to prevent or reduce waste…

Norwegian/Swedish shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s role in developing the pioneering Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative has been recognised with another award from the automotive sector, as efforts to improve vessel recycling practices step up a gear."Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s founding role in the Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative (SRTI) has been recognised with a second automotive industry award," the  logistics and shipping solutions provider said in a press note.Wallenius Wilhelmsen was recognised with the Greener Supply Chain award at the Automotive Logistics Europe Awards for its work with the SRTI, which helps cargo…

Global application of the regulations in International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s treaty for safe and environmentally-sound ship recycling - the Hong Kong Convention -  will have significant benefits for the environment and for the safety of workers in the sector.China, a major ship recycling country, has been developing its ship recycling facilities to ensure their compliance with the environmental and occupational health and safety requirements of the Hong Kong Convention.China shared its experience and knowledge with representatives of the government and ship recycling industry from Bangladesh, during an IMO Seminar on Ship Recycling and the Hong Kong Convention…

Malta is the latest country to accede to International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s treaty for safe and environmentally-sound ship recycling – the Hong Kong Convention, the UN body said in a release.The Convention covers the design, construction, operation and maintenance of ships, and preparation for ship recycling in order to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling, without compromising the safety and operational efficiency of ships.Under the treaty, ships to be sent for recycling are required to carry an inventory of hazardous materials, specific to each ship. Ship recycling yards are required to provide a "Ship Recycling Plan", specifying the manner in which each ship will be recycled, depending on its particulars and its inventory.H.E. Mr.

Ten years after the adoption of International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, in May 2009, there has been progress with voluntary application of its requirements, but the treaty needs to enter into force for it to be widely implemented.“I urge Member States who have not yet done so to ratify the Convention at the earliest opportunity, in order to bring it into force as soon as possible,” said IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim, speaking at an International Seminar on Ship Recycling: Towards the Early Entry into Force of the Hong Kong Convention (10 May).The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Land…

142 ships were sold in the first quarter of 2019 to the beaches of South Asia where they were broken under conditions that cause irreversible damage to both human health and the environment.According to a quarterly update from the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, between January and March, three workers have lost their lives and four were severely injured when breaking ships in Bangladesh.On 28 January, according to local sources, Md Motiur Rahman lost his life while working at S. S. Green Ship Breaking yard, located on the beach of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Twenty days later, a fire broke out in the engine room on board the Greek-owned Polembros’ tanker S WARRIOR at Shagorika Ship Breaking Yard, killing workers Md Jamil and Bipul.No severe accidents were reported in India and Pakistan.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s treaty for safe and environmentally-sound ship recycling has received another boost. Japan has become the 10th country to become a Party to the Hong Kong Convention.According to the UN body, the Convention covers the design, construction, operation and maintenance of ships, and preparation for ship recycling in order to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling, without compromising the safety and operational efficiency of ships.Under the treaty, ships are required to carry an Inventory of Hazardous Materials, specific to each ship. Ship recycling yards are required to provide a "Ship Recycling Plan"…

Safeen, the provider of integrated marine services in the Middle East and subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, has collected over 120 tons of floating sea debris in Abu Dhabi waters last year, recycling more than ten tons of the collected material.Capt. Adil Banihammad, Acting CEO of Safeen, said: “The establishment of the Environment and Anti-Pollution Department at Safeen, under the Marine Services Directorate back in 2015, demonstrates Abu Dhabi Ports’ utmost priority to protect the environment, attain sustainability and preserve marine resources and life.”“The department, run by Emirati staff trained to the highest international standards…

Teekay Shipping Corporation, the global marine energy transportation, storage & production company, has signed up to the Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative (SRTI).The Canadian shipowner thus  joined A.P. Moeller-Maersk, the China Navigation Company, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and other major maritime players and becomes the eighth to make public their approach to ship recycling.“Teekay is committed to helping the ship recycling facilities that we work with elevate their skills and performance to increase safety and sustainability,” said Kenneth Hvid, President and CEO, Teekay.“Our employees are on-the-ground throughout the recycling process to perform regular inspections and audits and provide training to staff and workers.

The Council on Ethics of the Government Pension Fund Global (Oil Fund), Norway's $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund (SWF), said that it will turn its attention towards Indian shipbreaking practices.The SWF cautioned that this may well result in further divestments from shipping companies with poor shipbreaking records.In 2018, the Council on Ethics had already advised the fund to divest from companies, including container line Evergreen, selling their end-of-life vessels to shipbreaking yards located in Pakistan and Bangladesh “due to an unacceptable risk that the companies are contributing to serious environmental damage and gross violations of human rights”.KLP, Norway’s largest private pension fund, followed suit and blacklisted the same companies.

The first report of the Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative (SRTI)  clearly indicates that there is a growing movement stepping up the pressure on shipowners to disclose their approaches to ship recycling.Since the SRTI online platform went live just over two months ago eight large shipowners – operating a combined total of more than 1,800 vessels – have voluntarily shared data on their company’s ship recycling policies and practice.All disclosing shipowners have a written policy on ship recycling for their own vessels covering issues related to the environment, labour and human rights in accordance with the Hong Kong Convention.“We’re seeing increasing pressure on shipowners from key stakeholders including investors…

International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s treaty for safe and environmentally-sound ship recycling has received another boost.The Netherlands has become the eighth country to become a Party to the Hong Kong Convention, said the UN body.The Hong Kong Convention) is aimed at ensuring that ships, when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives, do not pose any unnecessary risk to human health and safety or to the environment.The Convention covers the design, construction, operation and maintenance of ships, and preparation for ship recycling in order to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling, without compromising the safety and operational efficiency of ships.Under the treaty…