Tag: ship- recycling

Offshore Support Vessels scrapping has been increased by 153%, because of the large downturn that the offshore industry has seen since 2014-2015. This made more and more companies to scrap their OSVs, rather than keep them. So far in 2018, 43 OSV vessels have been sold for scrap. In the first three months of 2017 only 17 vessels were sold.

In an attempt to highlight key issues of ship dismantling, Mr. Stefanos Magoulas, Solix Engineering, refers to the Costa Concordia project which serves as an exquisite example of dismantling and recycling a vessel dockside, outside an approved facility.

The parties that participate decided this initiative as ship recycling standards and transparency are insufficient. This causes bad practices which are not punished, and good practices that are not rewarded. Shipbreaking is often carried out with few safety controls, increasing the risk to health and safety.

Greece-based shipping company Diana Containerships Inc. announced that it has signed, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, a Memorandum of Agreement to sell the 2006-built vessel “New Jersey” for demolition, on an “as is where is” basis.

The Dutch Public Prosecutor is bringing criminal charges against Groningen-based Seatrade, for having sold vessels to scrap yards in countries “where current ship dismantling methods endanger the lives and health of workers and pollute the environment”. This is the first time Public Prosecutors are bringing criminal charges against a shipowner.

In a bid to further boost Bangladeshi ship recycling industry, the parliament passed the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Bill 2018, keeping a provision of tougher punishment for violations of the law. Under the bill, owners are obliged to issue life insurance for all employees and be fully aligned with the relevant global laws and conventions,

The second phase of an IMO-implemented project to enhance safe and environmentally sound ship recycling in Bangladesh is set to begin in January, following a US$1.1 million funding agreement with Norway. The second phase will continue to support the country to comply with international requirements and guide it towards accession to Hong Kong Convention. 

Although there has been a decrease in the number of accidents in shipbreaking yards of Chittagong up to September, now the accident rate for the three first quarters of 2017 has surged with 8 injuries and 6 deaths recorded in the last two months alone, according to NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

After the container vessel Kea Trader split in half last month, fuel was spilled off the ship, with oil washing New Caledonia's eastern coasts and making the local authorities issue a marine pollution alert.

The Indian government has drafted legislation to ratify the IMO's Hong Kong Convention on safe ship-recycling, Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari was quoted as saying. The Convention will enter into force 24 months after it is ratified by 15 States. At the moment, only six states have acceded.