Japanese owner blames
paperwork errors for vessel arrest in Belgium last week
Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) says it is considering
alternative demolition sites for the 47,500-gt Global Spirit (built 1987) after
the car carrier was arrested in Belgium last week for allegedly breaching
European environmental rules prior to demolition in India.
The vessel was due to head for India — after a final
voyage — to be broken up until Belgium’s environmental authorities were alerted
to a breach of waste regulation by specialist green lobby group NGO
Shipbreaking Platform.
The organisation protested against the shipbreaking
plan based on India’s poor safety and environmental record in ship recycling,
adding it believed the vessel is “toxic” waste.
Under the current European Union Waste Shipment
Regulation (WSR), vessels involved in exporting from Europe must be recycled in
OECD member state countries.
The Global Spirit is owned by World Car Carriers, a
joint venture company involving MOL, Nissan Car Carriers and Hoegh Autoliners,
which had earlier sold the ship for demolition to Alang.
It was loading a cargo of secondhand cars in Belgium
for a final voyage when it was arrested.
The situation is a potentially embarrassing one for
MOL, which prides itself on its environmental performance and compliance
procedures.
An MOL spokesperson says the company is aware of the
regulations but that there are “flaws” in its WSR paperwork to the authorities,
which led to the arrest of the vessel.
“At present, the necessary process is being taken to
solve [the problem] at the soonest,” she said. “An alternative site is also
being reviewed.”
NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s Ingvlid Jenssen says she
believes that Turkey is the only likely alternative for the vessel to be
demolished. “Only an OECD destination that can ensure environmentally sound
management during dismantling and downstream treatment of the wastes will be
accepted by Belgian authorities,” she said.
NGO Shipbreaking Platform earlier alleged that the
owners turned down the chance to scrap the ship in Turkey so as to secure a
higher price.
It claimed the vessel was sold to India for $512 per
ldt, or $6.5m, compared to an offer of $380 per ldt to scrap the vessel in
Turkey.
The Global Spirit remained under arrest as TradeWinds
went to press and it is understood the cargo of secondhand cars has now been
unloaded.
(Also see need to ratify Hong Kong Convention, page
10).
Source: trade winds
news. 13 June 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment