United States: International Shipbreaking, a
recycling company that specialises in maritime projects, has been awarded the
contract to transport, dismantle and scrap the USS Independence, a
Forrestal-class aircraft carrier that was decommissioned by the US Navy in
1998. Under the deal, the US Navy will pay the company US$ 6 million.
International
Shipbreaking, which is part of the UK-based EMG Group, will tow the 61
000-tonne vessel from its current location at Bremerton in the US state of
Washington, charting a course around the southern tip of South America to the
company’s ship processing facility at Brownsville in Texas.
Despite
the widening of the Panama Canal, the aircraft carrier is still too large to be
taken via that route. The company expects to start towing the vessel in
mid-December and for the whole journey to take some four months.
International
Shipbreaking is currently preparing the vessel for transportation. The
dismantling and recycling of the USS Independence will take two years.
According to a spokesman, there are many
environmental issues to be addressed, including the proper handling of
polychlorinated biphenyls and mercury switches.
Source: recycling international.
09 November 2016
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