BIT's 1st Annual World MarineTech Summit-2010, Forum 1 discuss Ship Recycling:

Can Green Ship Recycling be Profitable?

In order to promote environmentally sound and safe ship recycling the International Ship Recycling Association, I.S.R.A was founded. The initiative to found I.S.R.A. was the responsibility of Tom Peter Blankestijn (public affairs Maersk Management) and Bernard Veldhoven (Dutch Environmental Lawyer) and has led to the formal incorporation of the association by the founding fathers on 22nd October 2007 in The Hague, the Netherlands. In the meantime leading green ship recycling facilities worldwide joined the association as a full member adhering to all our standards.

The Role of Hong Kong Convention at Ship Recycling Framework and the Japan’s Actions for Implementation of the Convention:

Ship recycling is one of the key elements of Green Ship Technology which is considered environment from design to scrapping or cradle to grave, and it is green industry intended for 3R, i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle.

In May 2009, IMO adopted a new International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, at a Diplomatic Conference in Hong Kong. The convention provides reasonable and powerful framework through the whole maritime industry in order to ensure the ships are recycled in a safe and 'green-manner'.

As a leading country for this issue, Japan initiates the trial projects to confirm its effectiveness, (ClassNK) is pro-actively involved in this effort throughout the ships’ life cycle at construction, operation, shipbreaking, and recycling.

NB: Watch the related speeches by the respective presenters by using the links provided with the source.

Source: MANNOVAS. By BIT Life Sciences. 26 march 2011

http://www.mannovas.com/tabid/96/language/en-US/Default.aspx?vId=10304

http://www.mannovas.com/tabid/96/language/en-US/Default.aspx?vId=10305

http://www.mannovas.com/FeatureDetail/tabid/97/Default.aspx?fId=87

Treatment Of Certain Heavy Metals Bearing Hazardous Wastes Generated In Ship Breaking:

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Introduction:

This study is motivated by a real problem at the Alang ship-dismantling facility near Bhavnagar in Gujarat. The focus of this study is the paint chip waste which is generated in shipbreaking activity. Alang, located 56 Km away from Bhavnagar city in Gujarat, came up as shipbreaking site during 1982-83. Hundreds of old ships, after their useful life, are broken at the Alang shipbreaking yards without any precaution to protect the environment. Shipbreaking and its harmful consequences have increased rapidly in past few years, creating a big challenge to the environment.

Most of the materials from shipbreaking are already defined as hazardous wastes under Basal Convention. Mass environmental pollution, disposal of toxic materials in the sea or on nearby agricultural land are some of the incidents observed in shipbreaking yard and in its vicinity. In light of the scientific data available, there should be no doubt that ships from the 70’s contain maximum levels of hazardous substances and when dismantled these compounds are released into environment.

Paint waste is one of the major hazardous wastes materials from the shipbreaking industry. These paints were mostly made up of lead. Paint waste, which is toxic due to its chemical composition such as lead oxide, pesticides, antifouling agents, TBT etc., occurs on the inside and outside surface of the ship. In general, metal-based paints, some containing as much as 30% heavy metals, were intended to protect ship surface from corrosion. The soil in and around the ship breaking yards are highly polluted with heavy metals. It is known that paint chips are main polluting agents, which contaminates the soil.

There are two issues related to paint chip waste in shipbreaking industry, namely:

a)    protection of soil from further contamination by proper collection, treatment, and disposal of paint chips and

b)    cleanup of soil that has already been contaminated due to paint chips.

The present research work emphasizes on both the above issues related to paint chip wastes. Aiming at evaluation of extent of soils pollution due to heavy metals site survey was carried out at Alang, in the state of Gujarat and Sewri, Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra. Soil as well as paint samples were collected and analyzed for heavy metal content using atomic adsorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results of soil analysis showed that soils from Alang as well as Sewri were highly contaminated with heavy metals. The reason behind such high contamination could be attributed to the previous shipbreaking practice of last 20-25 years. It is observed from paint chips analysis that the concentrations of lead, chromium, and zinc were much higher as compared to soil samples. The reason for such high 2 concentrations could be the fact that, these metals are in their purer form in paints as compared to soil.

Various methods are in practice to remove paints from ship surface. One of the methods used is sand blasting. Around 1,000 to 2,000 tonnes/ship (ship of 10,000 tonnes) of sand-paint waste matrix is generated in the sand blasting process assuming 5% of paint chip. Disposal of such sand-paint waste matrix leads to contamination of water and land.

In order to address the first issue i.e. treatment and disposal of paint chips, the potential of cement based solidification / stabilisation (S/S) system for immobilization of Cr and Pb has been explored using ordinary Portland cement and waste blasting sand. The focus of present work was to study the effectiveness of S/S on leachability of heavy metals using a) synthetically contaminated blasting sand and b) paint chips – blasting sand mixture. Although, immobilization of heavy metals was the primary objective of the study it was felt necessary that the blocks created by solidification should have minimum compressive strength to withstand the dead load when disposed in landfill and abrasion during transportation. The blasting sand collected from a local sand blasting unit was mixed with cement and water in mortar mixer. Various combinations of sand to cement used were 100:15, 100:20, and 100:30 (volume ratio). A constant water to cement ratio of 0.5 was maintained for all the experiments to achieve workability as well as strength. Dry and damp curing was adapted to find the effect of curing. It was observed from the results of dry and damp curing that damp curing exhibited very good results within 14 days of curing where as dry curing did not produce sufficient strength even after 28 days of curing. While carrying out experiments to study the leachability of heavy metals from S/S blocks, two metal oxides (lead and chromium) with concentration of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 g/kg of sand were added to water, separately. This water was used for preparing cement – blasting sand S/S blocks. Sand to cement ratio used was same as used in the compressive test experiments. Water to cement ratio of 0.5 was maintained for all experiments. These S/S blocks were tested for concentration of heavy metals in leachate adopting batch leaching experiment (BLE) and TCLP. The extraction fluid for BLE was prepared by soaking the crushed S/S blocks prepared using cement and uncontaminated blasting sand in water for 72 h. This water was 3 then filtered and used as extraction fluid. Batch leaching experiments were carried out with three intact and one crushed block of each combination. Blocks after curing were immersed in 500 ml of extraction fluid in a 1 L capacity plastic jar. 20 mL sample of extraction fluid was taken out periodically from the jar and replaced by same quantity of fresh extraction fluid. These samples were analyzed for lead and chromium concentration using AAS. The BLE shows that lead concentration in all the combinations was below 1 mg/L, which is much below the regulatory levels (5 mg/L). Anhydrous calcium silicate phase, which comprises 70-80% of cement, dominates the composition of Portland cement. Therefore, it is sufficient to assume that the hydration products of these phases, dominated by calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel, play an important role in the retention of lead [Ouki and Hills, 2002].

However, chromium concentration in various combinations in both the leaching tests exceeds the prescribed limits, except for the combination with high cement content (30 parts of cement per 100 parts of blasting sand) and low chromium concentration (0.5 gm per kg of blasting sand). To study leaching behavior of chromium release in extraction fluid, complete analysis for one combination was carried out. The results show that chromium concentration increases with time up to 48 hrs, thereafter the concentration of Cr in extraction fluid decreases (Figure 1(a)). The mechanisms like reduction and adsorption are responsible for chromium release, which are pH dependent. Figure 1(b) shows mass of Cr release as function of pH. It can also be seen that the mass of chromium increases with decrease in pH from 11.50 to 9.00 for first 48 h and thereafter decreases as pH increases from 9.00 to 11.40. Actual paint chips (5% of sand by volume) were mixed with blasting sand before preparing S/S blocks using actual paint chips. It is assumed that the paint chip waste-blasting sand that is generated from blasting of ship surface could contain 5 % of paint chips. The results of TCLP for S/S blocks containing paint chips revealed that all the heavy metals were well within the regulatory limits indicating that S/S of paint chips – blasting sand mix is a superior alternative for disposal of these wastes. In order to address the issue related to decontamination of soil at ship breaking sites, soil washing studies were carried out. To design the soil washing units effectively, information on both sorption and desorption of individual contaminant is necessary. Sorption studies were carried out to study effect of surrogate organic matter (SOM) and ionic strength (IS) on sorption of lead and chromium onto soil. 

Prepared by: Amit B. Mahindrakar

http://www.seminarprojects.com/Thread-treatment-of-certain-heavy-metals-bearing-hazardous-wastes-generated-in-ship-breaking

Bangladeshi Shipbreakers tentative over High Court order:

The country's shipbreakers are still scared of importing old vessels despite an interim High Court (HC) order issued in favour of them, causing serious shortage of raw materials needed for a number of industries.

The HC bench on February 27 issued an order verbally saying ship import should not be stopped and sought suggestions from parties concerned to facilitate procurement of old scrap vessels, Bangladesh ShipBreaking Association (BSBA) said.

"We're yet to get any official copy of HC order. If the HC gives favourable terms and conditions, then we will begin procuring old vessels," senior consultant of BSBA Captain Anam Chowdhury told the FE Friday.

BSBA sources said the HC is expected to issue the official copy of the verdict immediately.

The old ships are the major sources of raw materials for building of inland vessels, mild steel rod and light engineering equipment.

Nearly 90 per cent of inland ship making plants use plates of old vessels. Besides, MS rod manufacturing and light engineering also consume a major portion of scraps.

According to a study, 29 sectors consume iron and other matters of old ships, BSBA said.

Syeda Rizwana Hassan, director of BELA (Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association), told the FE: "I am yet to get the official copy. I am expecting that the HC order will incorporate conditions to import old vessels."

She also said: "If the conditions are hard to comply with, then the order will not be in favour of the ship breakers."

The Prime Minister has recently announced shipbreaking as an industry under the ministry of industries, considering its importance in the economy.

The shipbreaking sector has been facing hurdles over import of old vessels since 2009 due to legal issues which have caused reduction in their imports.

The country's 72 shipbreaking yards had imported 175 ships weighing 2.2 million tonnes of iron plates in 2009.

The imports dropped significantly in 2010. The shipbreakers imported only 1.3 million tonnes of iron plates last year.

M Ragman, chairman of Ratanpur Ship Recycling Industry, said: "I've reduced the number of ship imports since 2009."

He said the shipbreaking yards are almost empty now.

Another BSBA consultant said nearly 30 old ships imported earlier are now awaiting dismantling.

Md Ali, president of Bangladesh Re-rolling Mills Association, said the prices of ship plates have been surging sharply over the past few months.

"Our cost of production has increased significantly due to the rise in the price of ship plates."

The price of each tonne of ship scrap now ranges between Tk 42,000 and Tk 43,000 against Tk 28,000-Tk 30,000 earlier.

Sitakundu in Chittagong emerged as the world's largest shipbreaking destination as Bangladeshi importers had beaten their competitors in India and Pakistan to buy the highest number of scrap vessels sold in the international market during 2007, 2008 and 2009 period.

The other leading players in shipbreaking are Turkey and China.

The active shipbreaking yards in Sitakundu, 20 kilometres north of the port city Chittagong, dismantled more than 130 ships in 2007.

Bangladesh used to dismantle nearly 50 per cent of the ships sent to scrap-yards across the globe, according to BSBA.

Source: Financial Express. By Jasim Uddin Haroon. Saturday March 19 2011

http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=129754&date=2011-03-19

EPA ALLOWS SCHEME TO DUMP U.S. FLAGGED SHIP ON SOUTH ASIAN BEACH: BAN Media Release

India – According to the U.S. Maritime Administration, a U.S. flagged tanker named “Prince William Sound,” owned in part by a BP subsidiary, has been given clearance by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be sold, knowing it would be beached on the infamous scrapping beaches at Alang, India. Meanwhile EPA has refused after repeated requests to deliver to BAN any particulars as to why the clearance was given.



Prince William Sound

Photo by Phil Gilston as published in Shipspotting.com

The ship was built in 1975 and likely contains toxic wastes including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), asbestos, lead and TBT based paints. Sources indicate that 50-70 shipbreaking workers die each year at Alang from explosions, falling steel plates and exposure to toxic materials.[1] According to reliable industry sources, the beaching at Alang is expected to happen in a matter of hours should nobody intervene. Toxic exports of this kind violate the United Nations Basel Convention and should be considered illegal trafficking in toxic waste by Parties to the Convention. The U.S. has signed the Basel Convention but has not as yet ratified it.

“Our Federal government’s lack of action regarding international toxic waste dumping is a travesty,” said BAN’s Green Ship Recycling Campaign Director, Colby Self. “Their turning a blind eye to these U.S. ship dumping schemes makes a mockery of the Administration’s stated commitment to transparency, environmental justice and recycling.”

However it is possible that the export violates U.S. law. In October 2010, the U.S. Maritime Administration prompted the U.S. EPA to review and inspect the vessel to ensure PCBs were not present in any materials within the composition of the vessel in accordance with the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). However, the ship had already been allowed to leave for Malaysia. TSCA prohibits the distribution in commerce and the export for disposal of PCB contaminated material. After several months, the EPA declared that the vessel did not likely contain regulated concentrations of PCBs. This conclusion was reportedly based on information provided by the owner of the vessel and their representatives. BAN asked to see the review to determine whether the claims were legitimate but has been denied such access or answers to our questions about the case.

EPA’s own guidance documents suggest vessels of this vintage (pre-1979) are assumed to contain regulated concentrations of PCBs (equal to or greater than 50 parts per million) unless sampling of all suspected materials prove otherwise.[2]

“U.S. EPA has a responsibility to ensure that those in developing countries are protected from U.S. toxic wastes just as they would be at home,” said Colby Self. “For the EPA to stand by in utter silence while impoverished societies are dumped on is a disgrace.”

India is urged to turn the Prince William Sound away and to uphold the principles of the Basel Convention which prohibits the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes from a non-party, such as the U.S., to a member state, such as India. The U.S. EPA is asked to communicate with the government of India as a matter of urgency to return the ship to U.S. shores where it can undergo proper testing and remediation under EPA scrutiny.

For more information, contact:

Mr. Colby Self

cself@ban.org

Green Ship Recycling Campaign Director

Basel Action Network

+001 206 250 5652

Source: Basel Action Network, Media Release. 10 March 2011

http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2011/110310_epa_allows_scheme_to_dump.html

The Global Programme for Sustainable Ship Recycling: SBC/UNEP

The Global Programme for Sustainable Ship Recycling was created in 2007 to facilitate improvements in worker health and safety and environmental conditions in ship recycling countries in the South Asia region. The Programme concept has been developed in close consultation with two other international organisations with an interest and expertise in ship recycling: the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The Secretariat of the Basel Convention seeks to work with all ship recycling stakeholders to ensure the future sustainability of the industry.

Why the Global Programme?

Ship recycling1 is the process of dismantling an obsolete vessel’s structure for recycling or disposal whether conducted at a beach, a pier, a dry dock or a dismantling slip. It is an important industry in South Asia, particularly to the economies of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, providing jobs to hundreds of thousands of workers and much needed steel for development. The practice is inherently sustainable given over 95% of a ship can be recycled: steel is re-rolled and used in construction, machinery and equipment are re-used and oils and fuels are re-used or recycled. Ship recycling countries provide a valuable service to the global economy, recycling ships that are no longer operable, which otherwise might be abandoned or sunk. Given over 90% of the world’s trade is conducted via shipping, ship recycling is an issue in which the majority of the world’s population has a stake, although its direct effects, both positive and negative, often go unseen at the global level.

Whilst in theory the practice is sustainable, there is growing concern in the international community over the conditions in which ship recycling takes place. There is often little regard for worker health or safety, with worker injury and illness, and sometimes worker fatality, being commonplace. The record in environmental protection is poor, with a high incidence of pollution of local air, soil and water sources. Ships contain highly toxic materials, including asbestos, PCBs, heavy metals and oils and fuels, the dangers of which are not always understood by the workforce which results in limited precautions being employed to protect worker health and the environment. The concerns over standards in the industry are compounded by the impending phase-out of single-hulled tankers, which will result in thousands more ships requiring recycling over the coming ten years, the majority of which will find their way to the beaches of South Asia.

What does the Global Programme seek to achieve?

A new Convention on the “Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships” is currently being negotiated under the auspices of the IMO to facilitate improvements in the industry, although entry into force is not expected until approximately 2015 after sufficient ratifications are received. Action is urgently required to prevent incidence of worker injury and fatality and reduce the negative impacts of this activity on the environment.

To this end, the Programme seeks to:

• Promote the sustainability of the ship recycling industry by enhancing the application of internationally recognized standards relating to occupational safety and health (OSH) and environmental protection;

• Promote effective implementation of the future Convention for the “Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships” being negotiated under the auspices of the IMO, by building upon existing technical assistance activities promoting the guidelines of the IMO, ILO and Basel Convention, and elements of the new Convention (as developed); and

• Promote an integrated approach to the ship recycling industry, by addressing infrastructural and other needs in the participant countries in and beyond the ship recycling yards.

The Global Programme concept:

The Programme concept is based on four fundamental principles:

• A life-cycle approach, recognising that action is required within the confines of the ship recycling yard and beyond;

• Inclusion of ship recycling into national development and poverty reduction strategies, noting the important role the industry plays as an employer and source of raw materials;

• Collaboration with a wide array of stakeholders, including representatives of governments, ship recycling associations, workers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of ship recycling countries, donor countries and ship owner representatives. The active involvement of all relevant stakeholders will be instrumental in securing a commitment to improve the global ship recycling industry in a sustainable manner; and

• Continuity, recognising that the Programme should build on the considerable work that has been done in the past and put into place processes and procedures for the long-term, to ensure the future sustainability of both the Programme and the industry.

How does it work?

Extensive consultation with key ship recycling stakeholders will help to establish priorities and areas of opportunity in the main ship recycling countries. Core activities are outlined in the Global Programme concept which requires tailoring to each individual ship recycling country’s needs. Once a work programme for a specific country is agreed by all relevant stakeholders, implementation of the country strategy commences with oversight being provided through a Steering Committee.

Consultation:

The Programme seeks to establish public-private partnerships with key ship recycling stakeholders through which open dialogue and practical action can be undertaken. These partnerships would be comprised of all levels of government, industry and business sectors, non-governmental organizations, academia and other international institutions and bodies. Such consultative activities will help identify which of the Global Programme’s activities are suited to the prevalent conditions in the country of implementation.

Activities:

All activities identified in the Global Programme concept are inter-related, although they all comprise of their own set of underlying objectives.

These activities include:

• Development of model facilities in each of the participant countries to couple both operational and infrastructural improvements in a phased manner, providing a blueprint for other yards to follow suit. This activity provides a linkage between recycling facility owners wishing to upgrade their facilities and organisations and individuals with the expertise to consult on such improvements.

• Development of Government-to-Business certification scheme(s) to provide a yardstick by which ship owners and governments may assess the adherence of a yard to internationally accepted OSH and environmental standards. This activity would be developed and implemented in close regard to the certification scheme being developed under the IMO Convention.

• Policy development to assist ship recycling countries in preparing for the entry into-force of the IMO Convention on the “Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships”. The requirements of the new Convention need to be translated into simplified rules and regulations, as part of a national framework which outlines the responsibilities of all stakeholders, including regulators (from all concerned government agencies and ministries), ship recycling facility operators, etc. Allowing for preparation and transparency in this process will facilitate the implementation of the requirements of the new Convention.

• Establishing linkages with related development programmes being implemented in the participant countries. Cross-sectoral issues of urban planning, waste management and health and welfare infrastructure need to be coordinated to ensure an optimal use of resources and outcomes.

• Training and workshops to encourage knowledge-sharing and collaboration between all stakeholders in the ship recycling process, including government agencies, ship recycling facility owners, operators and workers, NGOs and external experts.

The oversight mechanism:

A Steering Committee of private and public stakeholders would act as an oversight mechanism to the Programme’s activities in each ship recycling country. The Committee, established to monitor and provide guidance on implementation of the Programme’s activities, would include participant governments, intergovernmental organizations, donor countries/organizations and representatives from industry (yard owners and ship breaking associations, ship owners and ship owners associations).

Further information:

Further information on the Programme can be obtained from the Secretariat of the Basel Convention. The Secretariat is interested to hear from representatives of ship recycling countries who have an interest in participating in the Programme. The Secretariat also invites contact with those wishing to provide input into the Programme, either through technical expertise, financial or in-kind contributions.

Source: Secretariat of the Basel Convention/UNEP

www.basel.int/ships/index.html