Progress towards the Hong
Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships
(2009) has been slow. However, Turkey, one of the world's leading ship
recyclers, has again shown its willingness to meet the requirements of the
Convention with another yard achieving a statement of compliance.
ClassNK issued the statement
to a ship recycling facility in Izmir, Turkey, Isiksan Ship Recycling and
Trading this week. Lloyd's Register has already issued six such statements to
other yards.
There are only 22 yards in
Turkey, and the Turkish Administration has been proactive, having already taken
its ratification of the Convention through its Parliament. The Turkish
Ambassador is expected to deposit the instrument of ratification at IMO soon.
Furthermore, the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and
Communication has played an active role in the drafting of the Convention.
Although the Hong Kong
Convention has yet to enter into force, Isiksan has carried out substantial
improvements to its facility in a bid toward safer and greener ship recycling
as well as developed the Ship Recycling Facility Plan required for a competent authority’s
certification according to the Convention.
The Hong Kong Convention
intends to address all the issues around ship recycling, including the fact
that ships sold for scrapping may contain environmentally hazardous substances
such as asbestos, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, ozone-depleting substances and
others. It also addresses concerns raised about the working and environmental
conditions at many of the world's ship recycling locations.
The text of the Hong Kong
Convention was developed over three and a half years, with input from IMO
Member States and relevant non-governmental organizations, and in co-operation
with the International Labour Organization and the Parties to the Basel
Convention.
Regulations in the new
Convention cover: the design, construction, operation and preparation of ships
so as to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling without
compromising the safety and operational efficiency of ships; the operation of
ship recycling facilities in a safe and environmentally sound manner; and the
establishment of an appropriate enforcement mechanism for ship recycling,
incorporating certification and reporting requirements.
Upon entry into force of the
Hong Kong Convention, ships to be sent for recycling will be required to carry
an inventory of hazardous materials, which will be specific to each ship. An
appendix to the Convention provides a list of hazardous materials the
installation or use of which is prohibited or restricted in shipyards, ship
repair yards, and ships of Parties to the Convention. Ships will be required to
have an initial survey to verify the inventory of hazardous materials,
additional surveys during the life of the ship and a final survey prior to
recycling.
The Convention will enter
into force 24 months after the date on which the following conditions are met:
* Ratification by 15 states,
*
Representation by 40 percent of world merchant shipping (by gross
tonnage), and
* A combined maximum annual ship recycling
volume not less than three percent of the combined tonnage of the ratifying
states.
So far, Belgium, Congo,
France, Panama Denmark and Norway have ratified the Convention. Some believe
the Convention’s entry into force could be nearly 10 years away, after many of
the world’s most asbestos-laden ships have already been recycled. Others more
optimistically expect its entry into force in five years.
Source: maritime-executive.
12 July 2017
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