EU-led ship recycling regulation could reverse positive effect of Hong Kong Convention on South East Asian scrapyards says GMS:

Scrapyards in South East Asia are in the midst of a significant change, as they are constantly improving their operations, adhering to the norms which have been set in motion by the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. However, as Dr Nikos Mikelis, non-executive director, GMS, says on an exclusive interview with Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide (www.hellenicshippingnews.com), the European Union’s Ship Recycling Regulation will see European flagged vessels only be permitted to be recycled at yards reviewed, accepted and published in the European List of approved ship recycling facilities. “GMS is very concerned that this regulation appears to re-enforce the idea that, when implemented, it will be interpreted by the European Commission as a total ban on beach recycling for European flagged vessels. If imposed in this way, the legislation will set the global recycling industry on a knife-edge and threaten a reversal of the sustainable progress set in motion by the HKC. Dividing the market with an interpretation of the EU Regulation as a ban on beaching will create precisely the false dichotomy that they say they are working to solve; poor conditions on beaches and higher standards elsewhere”, said Dr. Mikelis.

Ship recycling in South Asia has long been the “elephant in the room” for the shipping industry, at least in the eyes of many non-profit organizations and independent observers. Why has this been the case and what has been done over the course of time, to reverse this negative view?

Ship recycling plays a vital role in the lifecycle of a ship, and is fundamental to the industry.

For the last twenty years the ship-recycling yards in Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan and Turkey have been recycling 97% to 98% of all the tonnage that is recycled in the world. The economies of these five countries are characterised by a great appetite for scrap steel for their steel making needs.

Of these, the three South Asian countries are less developed and poorer, and this ensures that the local ship recyclers have the market to sell virtually every part of the ship: steel, machinery, fittings, equipment and even furniture. Consequently, the three South Asian countries are the most competitive in terms of the prices they pay for buying end-of-life ships and in the last ten years have dominated the international market by recycling more than two thirds of the world’s recycled tonnage.

On the other hand, underdevelopment and poverty are usually linked to lower safety, social welfare and environmental standards, giving rise over the years to pressures for the development of an international convention to regulate safety, health, environmental protection. This led to the adoption of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC) by IMO in 2009.

The HKC has not yet entered into force, and so, for the time being, the growth of sustainable ship recycling is reliant upon the market dynamics between ship owners and yards. However, the scrutiny that the industry came under during the development and introduction of the HKC is part of what has been driving change. As the shipping industry becomes aware of its responsibility to improve its sustainability, ship recycling has been developing accordingly.

The demand for responsible ship recycling now exceeds supply in South Asia. As yards that invested in achieving the standards of HKC now see growth for their services based on good health, safety and environmental practices, this has incentivised other yards to also improve standards and consider HKC Statements of Compliance, ISO and OHSAS certification.

With the fifth Hong Kong Convention-compliant yard having been approved in Alang and fifteen more currently going through the Statement of Compliance process, the progressive change in the ship recycling market is clear to see. High levels of safety and environmental standards are being introduced and achieved in Alang. To keep progressing towards improvement we need to make sustainable ship recycling the ‘norm’ and for shipowners across the world to be holding recycling yards to these standards. In this way we can continue the virtuous cycle.

Can one say that ship recyclers’ malpractices are the exception and not the rule, i.e. some noted companies hurting the reputation of those who are working in accordance with globally accepted rules and can this be deemed as unfair competition?

Not all yards have yet achieved desirable safety and environmental standards, and unfortunately there are many yards that still use poor practices during the ship recycling process. GMS has long been a supporter of the entry into force of the HKC so that compliance with its rigorous safety and environmental standards becomes mandatory. This would introduce a level playing field for all yards to work from. Until this is achieved, owners have the power to drive change by choosing yards that exercise good standards for safety and environmental protection (known as responsible recyclers, or “green yards”). This sends a strong market message that unsafe practices are no longer socially or environmentally acceptable, or economically prudent, and that the market will hold them accountable for such practices.

Sustainable recycling of ships is the primary goal of the international community. What do we mean in particular when we say sustainable recycling, in the terms of the practices and processes deployed when dismantling a vessel?

Sustainable ship recycling is the systematic prevention, and where practicable, elimination of safety and environmental risks through yard facilities, procedures and operations supported by preparatory work by shipowners, flag states and classification societies. The standards of the HKC and its guidelines are designed to be a best-practice approach to sustainable ship recycling and, although it is yet to enter into force, it defines the basis of what we mean when we talk about sustainable ship recycling.

HKC compliant recycling requires shipowners to carry and provide an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) detailing the location and approximate quantities of hazardous waste on board. The specific hazardous materials that must be covered by this IHM are specified in the two appendices in the Convention. This part of the process is also part of what is currently required from shipowners by voluntarily certified HKC-compliant yards.

A sustainable and HKC-compliant ship recycling yard will also have a Ship Recycling Facility Plan (SRFP), documenting the yard’s systems and processes for ensuring safety and environmental protection. They have safe removal procedures for hazardous wastes, and have installed advanced hazardous waste handling facilities at their yards (for example, negative pressure asbestos handling units) and specialist employees have been trained and equipped for handling hazardous wastes. Each recycling project is then planned out in advance and managed according to a ship-specific Ship Recycling Plan (SRP). The SRP is developed by the yard using the design particulars of the vessel and its Inventory of Hazardous Materials provided by the shipowner to plan a safe and environmentally friendly recycling sequence.

In the period before the HKC enters into force, a shipowner who choses to follow the standards set by the HKC will need to send his ship to a HKC-compliant yard and ensure contractually with the cash buyer that his ship will be recycled in accordance with the technical standards of HKC. The shipowner should also consider agreeing with the cash buyer the appropriate level of supervision and/or reporting to ensure that the recycling has taken place in the appropriate way.

Can this be achieved in South Asia, or at least in part of it?

Sustainable ship recycling can be and is being achieved in South Asia. It is all a matter of management. It is just as possible to have clean, safe and sustainable recycling on a beach as it is to create an unsafe and polluting environment by recycling alongside a pier. The five yards that have been awarded Statements of Compliance with HKC and the fifteen yards currently progressing through the process are testament to that fact.

How has the Hong Kong Convention helped towards this direction?

As I stated earlier the scrutiny that the industry came under during the development and introduction of the HKC is part of what has been driving change. In addition to this, GMS’s aim is for sustainable ship recycling to become the norm, rather than an exception. The only way to achieve this across the world, is to have a single practical and workable global standard, and that is HKC.

Do you see a possibility of negating the positive effects seen so far towards the direction of sustainable recycling?

A significant concern in this area comes from the European Union’s Ship Recycling Regulation. This will see European flagged vessels only be permitted to be recycled at yards reviewed, accepted and published in the European List of approved ship recycling facilities.

GMS is very concerned that this regulation appears to re-enforce the idea that, when implemented, it will be interpreted by the European Commission as a total ban on beach recycling for European flagged vessels. If imposed in this way, the legislation will set the global recycling industry on a knife-edge and threaten a reversal of the sustainable progress set in motion by the HKC. Dividing the market with an interpretation of the EU Regulation as a ban on beaching will create precisely the false dichotomy that they say they are working to solve; poor conditions on beaches and higher standards elsewhere.

Regulation that drives progressive change is a good thing. However, the EU regulation risks to do the reverse. If the regulation is interpreted as banning beaching, this will just create an unfair and damaging geographic gap between the beaching yards in South Asia and non-beach ship recycling yards elsewhere. It will create a two-tier and less sustainable market. In particular, it will be detrimental to the local areas surrounding the yards in South Asia, and it does not align with the HKC’s high goals of raising standards at all yards across the world. Furthermore, if the European Commission in exercising its powers to interpret the EU Regulation makes the mistake to exclude from its list of approved recycling facilities all yards in South Asia, then the most likely consequence will be that it will cause large scale flagging out of end of life ships away from European flags. This way the Commission will not only have failed to improve conditions in the countries that it matters most, but will also fail to enforce the EU Ship Recycling Regulation to EU ships.

A number of Indian yards with HKC Statements of Compliance have been verified by IRClass as meeting the requirements and standards of European Union Ship Recycling Regulation and have submitted applications for inclusion in the EU approved yards list. We sincerely hope that these yards will be accepted, putting to bed this potential and absurd “beaching ban” and committing the European Union to supporting the ideal of raising standards at yards, wherever in the world they happen to be.

With demolition activity reaching peak levels once again this year, how do you expect the market to behave in the coming months?

Ship recycling is a natural and inevitable part of a vessel’s lifecycle, and many people rely on this vital market, both directly and indirectly. The shipping industry as a whole is experiencing significant pressure to increase its sustainability, and it is important that the ship recycling sector also develops accordingly.

Commodity traders are in the midst of the worst market downturn on record and as a result the dry bulk sector is experiencing one of the worst times it has seen in recent years. The Baltic Dry Index is unpredictable, and as of June 2016 was hovering around the 600 mark, down nearly 95 per cent from its peak in 2008, with too many ships to transport the supply of cargoes currently being produced. As a result of this, the number of ships that are redundant and heading to the hands of recyclers is steadily growing, highlighting the need for this vital part of the industry.

How keen are ship owners to offload older vessels? As you find that ships headed for recycling are getting younger and younger, how does that affect your day-to-day operations?

Following a succession of newbuildings being delivered after the boom of 2012, charterers have their pick of newer, more economically viable and efficient vessels. This is a theme throughout the industry, not just in the dry bulk sector. However, in the dry bulk sector in particular there is now a trend for younger vessels to be scrapped, with vessels as young as 7-years-old being recycled in exceptional cases. This just highlights the current market complexities, and the pressure that is on shipowners and charterers to survive in this volatile and unpredictable market.

The heightened demand for scrapping, the increase in volume through recycling yards, and impending decisions by the European Commission on the EU’s Ship Recycling Regulation mean that the need for companies who specialise in recycling to adhere to the upmost highest standards of sustainability and safety is more scrutinised than ever before. GMS, as the world’s largest cash buyer of ships and offshore assets for recycling, is committed to leading corporate social responsibility and pioneering sustainability within the ship and maritime recycling field.

Source: Hellenic shipping news. 22 August 2016

http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/eu-led-ship-recycling-regulation-could-reverse-positive-effect-of-hong-kong-convention-on-south-east-asian-scrapyards-says-gms/

Shipping Industry Slumps, but Ship Scrapping Looks Up:

While the shipping industry struggles through a historic downturn, ship scrapping business is seeing accelerating demand, reports WSJ.

The global economic slowdown is putting shipping through its most bruising period since the 2008 financial crisis.

With the capacity running some 30% ahead of shipping demand, orders for new vessels have fallen to a record low this year and companies can’t get rid of ships fast enough.

In the five years to last year, owners ordered an average of 1450 ships annually. This year ­orders to last month fell to 293 vessels, according to British marine data provider Vessels Value.

About 1000 ships that have the combined capacity to haul 52 million tonnes of cargo will be dragged on to beaches, cut into pieces and sold for scrap metal this year. That is second only to the record amount of capacity of 61 million so-called dead weight tonnes that were scrapped and recycled in 2012.

A deeper sign of the downturn is that carriers are dumping ever-younger ships: vessels typically face recycling at about 30 years, but the average age of ships now getting scrapped is about 15 years.

Drewry’s Container Forecaster found that, for the first time, 450,000 TEU of containership capacity is expected to be scrapped in just one year, as the containership sector recognizes that there are far too many ships chasing too little cargo.

A record number of around 150 container vessels are expected to be scrapped in 2016 but it will not be enough for an industry battling over capacity, low demand and falling rates,  Drewry said.

The world's largest container shipping company, Maersk Line, a unit in conglomerate A.P. Moller-Maersk, said in February it would scrap more vessels and therefore begin to use four shipyards along India's Alang beaches to handle it.

In the past, recycling a ship has typically generated about one-quarter of the price of a new vessel of the same type and size. But owners say a drop in the price of steel has cut the rate of return to an average of 10-15 per cent of the price of a new ship.

South Asian scrapyards recycle about 75 per cent of dumped ships every year. The remainder goes to China and Turkey.

Source: marine link. 16 August 2016

http://www.marinelink.com/news/scrapping-industry413935.aspx

SHIP FULL OF ANCIENT ROMAN CARGO SLATED FOR RECYCLING 1,600 YEARS AGO UNEARTHED

The ancient world had something in common with the modern one: a penchant for recycling. While that’s good for the environment, that means plenty of historical treasures were melted down and turned into something else.

But 1,600 years ago, a shipload of Ancient Roman cargo was in the Mediterranean seaport of Caeserea in Israel, stuffed to the gills with metal slated for recycling, the Times of Israel reported.

That metal would never be recycled. Instead, the merchant vessel sailed into a storm at the entrance to the harbor. It drifted in the water until it smashed into a seawall and rocks. Israel Antiquities Authority director Jacob Sharvit and deputy director Dror Planer said both cargo and ship wrecked together, and therefore the treasures inside were “saved from the recycling process.”

The ancient crew tried their best to save the sinking ship and its recyclable cargo by dropping anchors into the sea, but to no avail, Sharvit and Planer said.

Fast forward to last month, when two recreational divers were swimming in the harbor. Ran Feinstein and Ofer Ra’anan were diving at the site of the ancient harbor in Caesarea National Park when they noticed something interesting on the sea bed: the remains of a ship and its contents, “left uncovered on the sea bottom,” according to Reuters.

Ran and Ofer contacted the IAA right away, and the agency sent their own divers to examine the site. Archaeologists employed some specialized equipment and began an underwater salvage survey to take a closer look.

Eventually, they uncovered something remarkable: the largest stash of marine artifacts found in Israel in 30 years, including iron anchors, coins, and bronze statues. The directors of the IAA spoke in grand terms about the find.

Among the treasures in the Ancient Roman cargo: a bronze lamp featuring the sun god Sol, a figurine of the moon goddess Luna, a lamp shaped like the head of an African slave, the remnants of three life-size bronze statues, and various objects shaped like animals, Discovery reported.

According to the IAA, they found “objects fashioned in the shape of animals such as a whale [and] a bronze faucet in the form of a wild boar with a swan on its head,” and all of them “in an amazing state of preservation.”

Metal statues like those found among this Ancient Roman cargo are rare finds in the world of archaeology because such items were “always melted down and recycled in antiquity.”

Among the less artistic finds were fragments of jars that were used for drinking water by the crew, remains of wooden anchors, and “items that were used in the construction and running of the sailing vessel.”

They also uncovered two metallic lumps that turned out to be hunks of thousands of coins fused together and shaped like the pottery vessel they were transported in 1,600 years ago. The lumps weighed about 40 pounds and featured the images of Constantine the Great and of Licinius.

Emperor Constantine ruled the eastern half of the Roman empire and came to be known as Constantine the Great. Licinius was his rival and ruled the eastern part of the Empire. These two men co-authored an edict that officially tolerated Christianity within the Ancient Roman empire. Licinius eventually submitted to Constantine after the Battle of Chrysopolis in 324 AD.

According to the IAA, the Ancient Roman cargo reflect a period of “economic and commercial stability in the wake of the stability of the Roman Empire,” during in which “Christianity was on its way to becoming the official religion,” Agence France Press added.

Source: inquisitr. 17 May 2016

http://www.inquisitr.com/3104854/ship-full-of-ancient-roman-cargo-slated-for-recycling-1600-years-ago-unearthed/

OSHA updates National Emphasis Program on shipbreaking:

Washington – OSHA has updated its National Emphasis Program on shipbreaking operations as part of a Memorandum of Agreement with several federal agencies.

Along with the Department of the Navy, the U.S. Maritime Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, OSHA agreed in 2015 to work together on safety and health inspections of government vessels that are being recycled. The NEP also focuses on reducing injuries and illnesses among Spanish-speaking workers, who are employed in high numbers in the shipbreaking industry.

The updated NEP replaces one issued in 2010, and will remain in effect until canceled or superseded by another instruction.

Source: safety and health magazine. 19 April 2016

http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/13947-osha-updates-national-emphasis-program-on-shipbreaking

Photos: From Ship to Scrap

With unsustainably low shipping rates and overcapacity, vessel owners are sending ships to scrap yards, such as the one in Alang, India.

Beached ships await recycling at Alang, India, site of one of the world’s largest ship-scrapping operations. KARAN DEEP SINGH/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

A worker cuts through metal at a ship-breaking operation in Alang. KARAN DEEP SINGH 

Workers pull a metal rope attached to the M.V. King David, a bulk carrier that used to carry iron ore from Australia to China. KARAN DEEP SINGH/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Workers pull a metal rope attached to the M.V. King David, a bulk carrier that used to carry iron ore from Australia to China. 

About 1,000 ships that have the combined capacity to haul 52 million metric tons of cargo—about the weight of 142 Empire State Buildings—will be dragged onto beaches, cut into pieces and sold for scrap metal this year. KARAN DEEP SINGH The last portion of the bulk carrier M.V. King David, sits beached for scrap. 

The last portion of the bulk carrier M.V. King David, sits beached for scrap.

The global economic slowdown is putting shipping through its most bruising period since the 2008 financial crisis.

The typical age for recycling a ship is 30 years. This year the average age of ships getting scrapped is about 15 years, says Anil Sharma, president and chief executive of U.S.-based Global Marketing Systems, the world’s largest cash buyer of ships for recycling

In the past, recycling a ship typically generated about one-quarter of the price of a new vessel of the same type and size. But owners say a sharp drop in the price of steel has cut the rate of return to an average of 10% to 15% of the price of a new ship.

Source: wall street journal. 14 August 2016

http://www.wsj.com/articles/photos-from-ship-to-scrap-1471199953

Chinese Diplomats in India Help Trapped Sailors Return Home

A sailor shakes hands with a Chinese diplomat to express gratitude after the Chinese diplomats boarded the sailors' ship in Alang port in India on Wednesday, May 11, 2016.

Thirteen Chinese sailors who were trapped in their cargo ship in India for almost a year have returned home with the help of Chinese diplomats, according to the Chinese Embassy in India.

The sailors called the embassy for help on April 23, sharing that their cargo ship had been anchored in Alang port for a long time, they had not been rotated home and they had worked on the ship for more than 300 days.

The Chinese Embassy sprang into action and communicated with the ship-owner, sailors and the sailors' company, with the three parties reaching an agreement on the sailors' rotation.

At 3am on May 11, two Chinese diplomats boarded the sailors' ship bringing food and helping the trapped sailors finish their rotation. With the help of the Chinese diplomats the 13 sailors were flown back to Shanghai, arriving at 8.30pm on May 13.

An unnamed Indian official told the Chinese Embassy, he was moved by the action of the Chinese diplomats. Many sailors from different countries get into trouble in Alang, and it's rare to see diplomats help sailors, he said.

Source: CRI English. 16 May 2016

http://english.cri.cn/12394/2016/05/16/2021s927812.htm

Ro-ro ship that called at Kollam to be scrapped:

final days:The ro-ro ship mv Maria India that is currently docked at the Alang Ship Breaking Yard in Gujarat.

The roll on, roll off (ro-ro) ship mv Maria India, which called at Kollam port on March 17 and made a splash by becoming the first such ship to call at a port in the State, has been sent to a ship-breaking yard to be scrapped.

The ship had brought promises of Kollam turning out to be a ro-ro shipping activity port.

The ship’s agents said on Friday that the ship was docked at the Alang Ship Breaking Yard in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, for being scrapped. The 161-metre-long and 26-metre-wide vessel registered in Panama, with a draught of 6.5 metres when loaded, has a capacity to carry up to 150 loaded trucks and 210 cars. The ship, which arrived from Colombo on a trial run, received wide media coverage because the operators promised its regular service between Kollam and the Adani Hazira port in Gujarat. As part of promoting coastal shipping activity, the Ports Department had offered several incentives to the ship for operating between Kollam and Hazira.

mv Maria had left Kollam port ten days after its arrival, carrying 18 loaded trucks to Hazira. The ship was scheduled to return two weeks later. The scrapping of the ship has belied yet another expectation of the Kollam port becoming active. The port, which was commissioned in October 2007, is largely lying idle.

Source: the hindu. 30 April 2016

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/roro-ship-that-called-at-kollam-to-be-scrapped/article8539589.ece

A Closer Look at the European Owners' Visit to Alang:

At the end of April, European shipowners, government officials from France, Germany and Belgium, and the European Commission visited shipbreaking yards in Alang, India. Despite several indications that NGOs, including the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, would be part of the delegation, no NGO was invited to join. MarEx took a closer look.

The Complaint

“We were clearly not welcome to join this visit. Critical civil society voices are not wanted in Alang – neither by shipowners, nor by the yards,” said Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. “This confirms the lack of transparency under which the yards in Alang operate.”

The visit is organized by the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA). It is an attempt by both shipowners and certain yards in India to convince European policy makers that yards in Alang should be approved for the upcoming E.U. list of accepted ship recycling facilities, says Heidegger. “However, under the European Ship Recycling Regulation and the recently published technical guidelines on the requirements for ship recycling facilities, it is clear that beaching facilities do not qualify for the E.U. list.”

In regard to the visit, local environmental groups raised concerns related to working conditions, poor downstream waste management and continued pollution of the coastal waters in Alang.

On Site in Alang

MarEx spoke to Dr Anand M. Hiremath, a specialist on Indian ship recycling based in Bhavnagar, India, who accompanied the owners on their visit to Alang. Hiremath works closely with selected yards to ensure compliance of the guidelines established by the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) for Safe and Responsible Recycling of Ships. In this regard he liaises closely with the Ship Recycling Association of India, the Gujarat Maritime Board, the Ministry of Shipping and other local organizations and governmental institutions. Additionally, he is responsible for the development and implementation of cash buyer GMS’ responsible ship recycling program.

Can you tell us about the yards that ECSA visited?

The ECSA fact-finding delegation started its day in Alang by visiting the Labor Training and Welfare Institute followed by a labour colony.  The delegation then visited eight yards:

Kalthiya Ship Breaking Yard (HKC certified)

Panchavati Ship Breakers (Normal yard)

Hariyana Ship Breakers (Normal yard)

Shubh Arya Steel (HKC certified)

Leela Ship Recycling (HKC certified)

J R D Industries (Certification in process)

Priya Blue Industries (HKC certified)

Hoogly Ship Breaking Yard (Normal yard)

They closed the day at the Gujarat Enviro Protection and Infrastructure Limited’s Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility, part of their Integrated Common Hazardous Waste Management Facility.

There are currently 80 working yards in Alang out 130 registered yards, the eight yards visited by the delegation therefore represent 10 percent of the number of yards and contribute around 15 percent of the total recycling activity in Alang.

How were the yards chosen?

After discussions between the Ship Recycling Association of India and ECSA it was decided that the delegation would chose the yards that they wished to visit.

Half of the yards visited were HKC compliant as one of the key goals of the trip was to demonstrate that the HKC does deliver the high standards of worker welfare and environmental stewardship that the European Commission expects from yards on its approved European List of ship recycling facilities. One yard was in the process of improving its infrastructure and systems to achieve HKC compliance and the remaining three were normal yards.

The visit to one of these normal yards was specifically requested at the time of the visit by one of the officials as they had heard negative reports about that particular yard and wanted to see it for themselves. At that yard they toured the facility and met with the owner who explained his ambition to upgrade the facilities.

This manner of yard selection ensured that the delegation had confidence that they were experiencing full transparency and openness.

What levels of environmental protection and worker health and safety were covered across the range of yards chosen given that the industry in general has been criticized for beaching in a way that is polluting and unsafe for workers, for lack of protective wear for workers, for lack of medical support in case of accidents and for using child labor?

Let me first state that in my six years of experience in Alang I have not seen child labor in any yard.

In terms of the yards visited on this trip. The HKC compliant yards work and manage each project according to a bespoke ship-specific recycling plan, using the design of the vessel and Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) provided by the ship owner to plan a safe and environmentally-friendly dismantling sequence. They have developed safe waste removal procedures, and installed advanced waste handling facilities at their yards (for example, negative pressure asbestos handling units) and specialist employees have been trained and equipped for handling specific wastes.

All workers are provided with an Employer State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) card which entitles the worker and his family to free medical treatment in any ESIC approved hospital in the state. They are also provided an identity card and have a dress code based on tasks and personal protective equipment where necessary. Periodic training is also mandatory for workers including training for working at height, or in a confined space, oil spill control, fire prevention, control and evacuation and for safe welding, cutting and grinding.

These are the standards one of the other yards is working towards, and they already have the majority of the necessary safety processes and procedures in place.

The ECSA delegation witnessed lower standards at the non-compliant yards in Alang, but GMS is not arguing that the E.U. Ship Recycling Regulation permit these yards for use by European shipowners or that there be no legislation for change. Indeed GMS has long been a supporter of the entry into force of the HKC so that compliance with its rigorous safety and environmental standards becomes mandatory.

The trip was intended to demonstrate the considerable progress that is being made in sustainable ship recycling within the region. It further aimed to demonstrate that the HKC can deliver safe and environmentally sound ship recycling regardless of its location, if it is supported the world over.

If interpreted as a ban on beaching, the E.U. legislation threatens to split the industry into “good recycling” and “bad recycling” along geographic lines with no way to bridge the gap between the two. By allowing recycling at HKC-compliant yards the E.C. could help to raise standards for all of the world’s recycling yards and all those that work within the sector, no matter where in the world they happen to be.

How much time did the yards have to prepare for the visit?

The yards visited underwent no special preparation for the ECSA visit. They have been maintained as per routine housekeeping procedure and most of the yards were working when ECSA delegation visited. Yards were transparent in providing information to the delegation and the attendees were free to inspect every inch of the yards without any restriction other than those posed by ensuring the health and safety of the workers and the attendees themselves.

How can you reassure the industry that the visit wasn’t skewed to ensure that the shipowners went home with a positive impression?

The organizers worked very hard to ensure that the visit was transparent and open and that the delegation saw the real Alang. The input of the delegation into the yards that were visited, including that they chose and visited unrestricted a yard that they had received negative reports about, is evidence of that transparency.

The trip worked on the principle of seeing is believing. Most of the people who talk about the situation in Alang have not visited the yards, seen what HKC compliance means in practice or had a chance to witness the change taking place. The trip has gone some way to changing that.

What Indian regulations govern the yards?

The Government of India has implemented the Ship Breaking Code-2013 which has firmed up safety provisions for workers and delegated more powers to industrial safety personnel. It is very similar to requirements outlined in the HKC. The yards are implementing the code effectively and with the intended spirit in tact.

What proportion of yards do you consider need to make substantial change in order to reach levels acceptable by the Hong Kong Convention and what are the key things that need to change?

Irrespective of the ratification status of the HKC, yards will continue to adopt compliance voluntarily and seek certification of that compliance from leading class societies. Last week, the fifth yard in Alang received HKC compliance certification from RINA and seven further yards are currently going through HKC Statements of Compliance process to be certified. Once there are 12 compliant yards that would represent 15 percent of the total yards in Alang.

The view has been expressed that although the standards of worker safety, amenities and medical care in the region’s shipbreaking yards might seem low by the standards of some nations, they are actually relatively good compared to the villages from which many workers come. Do you think that is true in the case of Alang? How much change, therefore, do you think is realistic to expect?

I agree with that assessment. However, that does not mean that improvement has not occurred, that those improvements cannot be taken further and that we should not expect high safety standards for workers wherever they are in the world.

The demand for green recycling is currently filling the HKC compliant yards in India. It is driving improvement throughout the region by creating competition and we have seen this developing into a virtuous cycle.

By banning beaching, including at HKC compliant yards that have made significant investments in infrastructure and training to deliver high standards of worker welfare and environmental stewardship, the European Commission will negate that improvement and catalyze a reduction in standards. All this regulation will achieve is to abandon the majority of the world’s ship recycling infrastructure and workers to the realms of the non-compliant, not at all in line with the goal of raising standards at all yards across the world.

Source: maritime-executive. 08 May 2016

http://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/a-closer-look-at-the-european-owners-visit-to-alang

A Closer Look at the European Owners' Visit to Alang:

At the end of April, European shipowners, government officials from France, Germany and Belgium, and the European Commission visited shipbreaking yards in Alang, India. Despite several indications that NGOs, including the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, would be part of the delegation, no NGO was invited to join. MarEx took a closer look.

The Complaint

“We were clearly not welcome to join this visit. Critical civil society voices are not wanted in Alang – neither by shipowners, nor by the yards,” said Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform. “This confirms the lack of transparency under which the yards in Alang operate.”

The visit is organized by the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA). It is an attempt by both shipowners and certain yards in India to convince European policy makers that yards in Alang should be approved for the upcoming E.U. list of accepted ship recycling facilities, says Heidegger. “However, under the European Ship Recycling Regulation and the recently published technical guidelines on the requirements for ship recycling facilities, it is clear that beaching facilities do not qualify for the E.U. list.”

In regard to the visit, local environmental groups raised concerns related to working conditions, poor downstream waste management and continued pollution of the coastal waters in Alang.

On Site in Alang

MarEx spoke to Dr Anand M. Hiremath, a specialist on Indian ship recycling based in Bhavnagar, India, who accompanied the owners on their visit to Alang. Hiremath works closely with selected yards to ensure compliance of the guidelines established by the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) for Safe and Responsible Recycling of Ships. In this regard he liaises closely with the Ship Recycling Association of India, the Gujarat Maritime Board, the Ministry of Shipping and other local organizations and governmental institutions. Additionally, he is responsible for the development and implementation of cash buyer GMS’ responsible ship recycling program.

Can you tell us about the yards that ECSA visited?

The ECSA fact-finding delegation started its day in Alang by visiting the Labor Training and Welfare Institute followed by a labour colony.  The delegation then visited eight yards:

Kalthiya Ship Breaking Yard (HKC certified)

Panchavati Ship Breakers (Normal yard)

Hariyana Ship Breakers (Normal yard)

Shubh Arya Steel (HKC certified)

Leela Ship Recycling (HKC certified)

J R D Industries (Certification in process)

Priya Blue Industries (HKC certified)

Hoogly Ship Breaking Yard (Normal yard)

They closed the day at the Gujarat Enviro Protection and Infrastructure Limited’s Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility, part of their Integrated Common Hazardous Waste Management Facility.

There are currently 80 working yards in Alang out 130 registered yards, the eight yards visited by the delegation therefore represent 10 percent of the number of yards and contribute around 15 percent of the total recycling activity in Alang.

How were the yards chosen?

After discussions between the Ship Recycling Association of India and ECSA it was decided that the delegation would chose the yards that they wished to visit.

Half of the yards visited were HKC compliant as one of the key goals of the trip was to demonstrate that the HKC does deliver the high standards of worker welfare and environmental stewardship that the European Commission expects from yards on its approved European List of ship recycling facilities. One yard was in the process of improving its infrastructure and systems to achieve HKC compliance and the remaining three were normal yards.

The visit to one of these normal yards was specifically requested at the time of the visit by one of the officials as they had heard negative reports about that particular yard and wanted to see it for themselves. At that yard they toured the facility and met with the owner who explained his ambition to upgrade the facilities.

This manner of yard selection ensured that the delegation had confidence that they were experiencing full transparency and openness.

What levels of environmental protection and worker health and safety were covered across the range of yards chosen given that the industry in general has been criticized for beaching in a way that is polluting and unsafe for workers, for lack of protective wear for workers, for lack of medical support in case of accidents and for using child labor?

Let me first state that in my six years of experience in Alang I have not seen child labor in any yard.

In terms of the yards visited on this trip. The HKC compliant yards work and manage each project according to a bespoke ship-specific recycling plan, using the design of the vessel and Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) provided by the ship owner to plan a safe and environmentally-friendly dismantling sequence. They have developed safe waste removal procedures, and installed advanced waste handling facilities at their yards (for example, negative pressure asbestos handling units) and specialist employees have been trained and equipped for handling specific wastes.

All workers are provided with an Employer State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) card which entitles the worker and his family to free medical treatment in any ESIC approved hospital in the state. They are also provided an identity card and have a dress code based on tasks and personal protective equipment where necessary. Periodic training is also mandatory for workers including training for working at height, or in a confined space, oil spill control, fire prevention, control and evacuation and for safe welding, cutting and grinding.

These are the standards one of the other yards is working towards, and they already have the majority of the necessary safety processes and procedures in place.

The ECSA delegation witnessed lower standards at the non-compliant yards in Alang, but GMS is not arguing that the E.U. Ship Recycling Regulation permit these yards for use by European shipowners or that there be no legislation for change. Indeed GMS has long been a supporter of the entry into force of the HKC so that compliance with its rigorous safety and environmental standards becomes mandatory.

The trip was intended to demonstrate the considerable progress that is being made in sustainable ship recycling within the region. It further aimed to demonstrate that the HKC can deliver safe and environmentally sound ship recycling regardless of its location, if it is supported the world over.

If interpreted as a ban on beaching, the E.U. legislation threatens to split the industry into “good recycling” and “bad recycling” along geographic lines with no way to bridge the gap between the two. By allowing recycling at HKC-compliant yards the E.C. could help to raise standards for all of the world’s recycling yards and all those that work within the sector, no matter where in the world they happen to be.

How much time did the yards have to prepare for the visit?

The yards visited underwent no special preparation for the ECSA visit. They have been maintained as per routine housekeeping procedure and most of the yards were working when ECSA delegation visited. Yards were transparent in providing information to the delegation and the attendees were free to inspect every inch of the yards without any restriction other than those posed by ensuring the health and safety of the workers and the attendees themselves.

How can you reassure the industry that the visit wasn’t skewed to ensure that the shipowners went home with a positive impression?

The organizers worked very hard to ensure that the visit was transparent and open and that the delegation saw the real Alang. The input of the delegation into the yards that were visited, including that they chose and visited unrestricted a yard that they had received negative reports about, is evidence of that transparency.

The trip worked on the principle of seeing is believing. Most of the people who talk about the situation in Alang have not visited the yards, seen what HKC compliance means in practice or had a chance to witness the change taking place. The trip has gone some way to changing that.

What Indian regulations govern the yards?

The Government of India has implemented the Ship Breaking Code-2013 which has firmed up safety provisions for workers and delegated more powers to industrial safety personnel. It is very similar to requirements outlined in the HKC. The yards are implementing the code effectively and with the intended spirit in tact.

What proportion of yards do you consider need to make substantial change in order to reach levels acceptable by the Hong Kong Convention and what are the key things that need to change?

Irrespective of the ratification status of the HKC, yards will continue to adopt compliance voluntarily and seek certification of that compliance from leading class societies. Last week, the fifth yard in Alang received HKC compliance certification from RINA and seven further yards are currently going through HKC Statements of Compliance process to be certified. Once there are 12 compliant yards that would represent 15 percent of the total yards in Alang.

The view has been expressed that although the standards of worker safety, amenities and medical care in the region’s shipbreaking yards might seem low by the standards of some nations, they are actually relatively good compared to the villages from which many workers come. Do you think that is true in the case of Alang? How much change, therefore, do you think is realistic to expect?

I agree with that assessment. However, that does not mean that improvement has not occurred, that those improvements cannot be taken further and that we should not expect high safety standards for workers wherever they are in the world.

The demand for green recycling is currently filling the HKC compliant yards in India. It is driving improvement throughout the region by creating competition and we have seen this developing into a virtuous cycle.

By banning beaching, including at HKC compliant yards that have made significant investments in infrastructure and training to deliver high standards of worker welfare and environmental stewardship, the European Commission will negate that improvement and catalyze a reduction in standards. All this regulation will achieve is to abandon the majority of the world’s ship recycling infrastructure and workers to the realms of the non-compliant, not at all in line with the goal of raising standards at all yards across the world.

Source: maritime-executive. 08 May 2016

http://www.maritime-executive.com/editorials/a-closer-look-at-the-european-owners-visit-to-alang