Tag: scrapping

European lawmakers tighten rules on ship-breaking industry

UK Chamber: Rejection of Scrap Levy welcomed

European Commission to table a legislative proposal before the end of 2015 Plans to clean up the scrapping of old ships and ensure the materials are recycled in EU-approved facilities worldwide were backed by Parliament on 18th of April. The plenary did not endorse an Environment Committee proposal for a recycling fund financed by a levy, but it did call on the European Commission to propose plans for an incentive-based system before the end of 2015.The draft regulation aims to reduce the adverse effects of careless scrapping, such as accidents, injuries or damage to human health or the environment, by steering EU-ships towards EU-approved facilities worldwide.The Environment Committee report, drafted by Carl Schlyter (Greens/EFA, SE) proposed that the scheme be funded by a recycling levy to be imposed on any ship using an EU port, in line with the "polluter pays" principle, so as to steer these ships at the end of their lives into proper recycling facilities.The plenary opposed the recycling fund levy proposal by a narrow 299 votes to 292, with 21 abstentions. Instead, members adopted an amendment calling on the European Commission to table a legislative proposal before the end of 2015 "for an incentive-based system that ...

Shipping on the up as scrapping increases?

World s first nuclear cruiser up for auction as scrap

Appledore's historic Richmond Dock is to be put back to use for scrapping ships Appledore's historic Richmond Dock is to be put back to use for scrapping ships.The move comes after controversial proposals to build homes on the site were rejected last year.The news emerged at a meeting of the Bideford Harbour Board Working Group last week. The meeting at Bideford Town Hall heard a five-year-lease has been secured by FTD Marine to use the dock to scrap ships.The company, from Cooper Street, Bideford, will lease the dock from owner Simon Maunder.FTD Marine's Gareth Evans, said work to clean up the dock would begin soon.Mr Maunder had previously wanted to convert the grade two listed dock into 24 flats, a post office, shop and café.The multi-million pound housing development was rejected by Torridge District Council and again on appeal in August 2011.The dock, constructed in 1859, once played a major role in the shipping industry for Appledore.Vice-chairman of the harbour board working group, Councillor Peter Christie, said: "The luxury flats were initially rejected in the hope that Richmond Dock would one day become a working dock again."It will be great for industry to get the dock up and running again ...

Ship breaking biz booms in Guj due to slump in global trade Ship breaking at Alang in Gujarat has once again become booming business thanks to the slump in global trade, where owners would prefer scrapping their ships than seeing them sit idle. Now, if only they could take better care of their migrant labour.The view from the top of a ship at Alang, in Gujarat, is surreal-ten kilometres of beach on which hapless ships, in various states of dismemberment, lie listlessly in one of the 140 'yards'-a shadow of their former seagoing selves. Many are lined up in the waters off the beach like lambs to the slaughter. Nearby, a cross-section of seven floors is what remains of a 23-year old 10 MT Japanese vessel that was once a car carrier, two months after it docked at Alang. Around 200 workers have been hired to help scrap the vessel. While some are working in the yard cutting the steel sheets, taking out the nuts and bolts of the ship machinery, others are dismantling the ship from inside.Alang, once a desolate dot on the Gujarat coastline, is arguably the world's most famous graveyard for ships, a repository for much of ...

Britian decided to scrap emergency towing vessel cover around the coastline Britian's decision to scrap emergency towing vessel cover around the coastline is now almost certain to face legal challenge, with opponents of the idea set to argue in the High Court that such a step would breach both international treaty obligations and domestic law.The government initially unveiled the move in October 2010, as part of the biggest round of public sector cuts seen in Britain for almost 90 years. Ending ETV cover is designed to save 32m ($51.5m) over four years, as a contribution towards an 81bn overall reduction in state spending.However, reaction within UK shipping has been almost unanimously hostile, with many doubtful that reliance on free-market salvage operators is an adequate substitute for having four tugs provided by JP Knight on call 24 hours.They point out that the present system was introduced in light of past experience, on the recommendation of Lord Donaldson's report into the 1993 Braer disaster, and that one repetition of such an incident could dwarf any savings made by ending it.Seafarer union Nautilus International today confirmed that it and one other party, which it declined to name, were now talking to maritime law ...

150 bulk carriers were scrapped A total of 150 bulk carriers were scrapped in the first-half of this year, a surge of 219% over the same period of last year, analyst Golden Destiny reported. The total volume of bulker carriers sent for demolition amounted to 11,473,976 dwt in the first-half compared to 1,875,333 in the previous year's six-month period.The scrapping business in the second-quarter rose by 38% quarter-on-quarter to 87 vessels representing 7,266,359 dwt, the analyst report said. The "depressing levels of capesize earnings have urged many owners towards the disposal of vintage tonnage", the report mentioned. Average time charter capesize earnings are hovering around $13,000 a day in contrast with July 2009 levels of around $60,000 a day.Since the start of this year, 47 capesizes were estimated to have been sent for scrap compared to only five at a similar period in 2010 and nine in 2009, the report added."The large appetite for the scrapping of larger size units in the bulk carrier segment is expected to persist till the end of the year as the outlook in the capesize segment remains negative due to oversupply issues and fluctuations in Chinese iron ore demand," it said.Overall, the first-half of ...