18 February 2016

Wirana welcomes Maersk Line’s shipbreaking in Alang:

Wirana welcomes Maersk Line’s shipbreaking in Alang

Vessel cash buyers Wirana Shipping Corporation has welcomed Maersk Line’s recent decision to engage four Hong Kong Convention (HKC) compliant shipbreaking yards in Alang, India to recycle ships.

Maersk Lines said it acknowledged the efforts and investments undertaken by the four yards along Alang beaches and decided to work with the yards for safe and environmentally sound ship recycling practices.

Rakesh Khetan, chief executive of Wirana, said this is a positive step in the right direction and the Maersk decision will have a long term impact on motivating other yards to worth towards HKC compliance.

Maersk Line pointed out that its engagement is not restricted to the four HKC yards only but with other yards intending to seek HKC compliance, improving local waste facilities and hospitals and upgrading housing conditions for migrant workers.

The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of ships, 2009 under the aegis of IMO was adopted at a diplomatic conference held in Hong Kong. The text of HKC was developed over three and a half years with input from IMO member states and relevant non-governmental organizations and in cooperation with International Labour Organization (ILO) and the parties to Basel Convention.

Wirana believed that encouragement from shipowners such as Maersk Line would motivate more yards to strive for HKC compliance and thus help counter one of the reasons for delayed ratification of HKC by flag states with large fleets which is lack of enough HKC compliant recycling facilities.

Source: seatrade-maritime. 17 February 2016
http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/news/asia/wirana-welcomes-maersk-lines-shipbreaking-in-alang.html

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