Design for recycling: a route to green ship recycling

Ship recycling at the end of a ship’s useful life aims to make the shipping industry more environmentally sustainable and is a major source of employment in developing countries. However, there are associated health, safety and environmental concerns. This study argues these concerns are due to inappropriate design and explains how ‘design for recycling’ can reduce the costs and risks of ship recycling.

The final stage of a ship’s life cycle — recycling — is essential for renewal of the shipping fleet. On average, 96% of the ship can be recycled or reused. The re-use of increasingly scarce materials also reduces the burden that shipping places on natural resources, improving the environmental sustainability of the industry.

Ship recycling also supports the developing economies of several countries, such as Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan and Turkey, which together represent 97% of the world’s ship recycling capacity. However, current recycling practices can have negative social and environmental impacts. Ships contain toxic materials, such as asbestos and heavy metals, which many ship recycling hubs do not have the infrastructure to treat, generating health and safety concerns for workers and contaminating the natural environment.

Awareness of the risks of ship recycling was first raised in the early 1990s, leading the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to adopt the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships in 2009. More recently, the EU has published a Ship Recycling Regulation, which aims to reduce the negative impacts caused by recycling EU Member State-flagged ships.

The researchers of this paper argue that, to address the negative impacts of ship recycling properly, hazards must be considered during the design process. ‘Design for recycling’, a concept which involves identifying the recycling challenges during the design stage, has already been successfully applied in the automobile industry. In the context of ships, it could involve identifying hazards, such as toxic paints, or inefficiencies, such as oil tanks that must be manually cleaned before they can be recycled.

Their basic principle is for ship designers to ensure that recycling is as safe, efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. Not only would this prevent or reduce the use of materials, such as asbestos, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), heavy metals and oils (e.g. residual fuels), that could be a threat to workers and the local environment during dismantling, it would also reduce risk throughout the ship’s life-cycle, decreasing risks to builders and crew members.

The concept has three key objectives:

- providing an accurate inventory of hazardous materials,

- reducing or replacing hazardous materials, and

- making the ship easy to dismantle.

The latter could be achieved by using techniques such as standardisation of all parts and equipment on every ship to make it easier to identify the components of end of life ships for potential re-use, remanufacturing or recycling. Other techniques for ease of dismantling would be to include properly designed lifting supports for handling dismantled structural parts to minimise accidents due to falling components. The key objectives could be incorporated into design rules through IMO codes, for example.

However, there are concerns about the impact that implementing these changes would have on the costs of building and operating ships. To deal with these additional costs, the researchers suggest that the expense of creating inventories of hazardous materials should be borne by the ship owner (as in the ‘polluter pays’ principle). They also say costs should be calculated for different replacement materials and design changes in order to identify the most affordable options. The authors say the negative impacts of ship recycling presently undermine the industry’s contribution to sustainable development. With this paper, they describe a method, with techniques for efficient ship dismantling, to reduce these negative impacts by improving ship design and, ultimately, to achieve cost-effective green ship recycling.

Source: European Commission. Thematic Issue 55. June 2016. Ship Recycling: Reducing Human and Environmental Impacts

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/design_for_recycling_route_to_green_ship_recycling_55si12_en.pdf

March has been a very busy month for the GMS Green Team!

A weekly training programme for a selection of ship recycling yard workers in Alang has been initiated under our CSR & RSPR programs. Navyug Ship Breaking yard (Plot no.153M) in Alang was the first yard where the workers’ training programme took place under the care and guidance of Dr. Anand Hiremath, our Green recycling Lead Co-ordinator in Bhavnagar who is leading our responsible ship recycling activation and oversees the implementation of our RSPR program.

 

The yard workers were trained on safe-for-entry procedures and work in confined spaces while engaging in onboard cutting processes using an oxy-LPG torch. Other subjects that were covered in detail, included: the use of a selfcontained breathing apparatus (SCBA), understanding confined spaces using a General Arrangement (GA) plan, emergency evacuation and rescue plan while working in a confined space, the use of a multi gas detector and the role of helpers during the cutting process on-board. We are also quite proud to announce that Dr. Hiremath has just been awarded the “Approved HazMat Expert” certificate from DNV-GL in Piraeus, adding more value to the extensive portfolio of services we provide to our esteemed Clientele globally.

Dr. Hiremath will be preparing and overseeing the implementation of IHM (Inventory of Hazardous Materials) an important step before the actual recycling process of a vessel begins. GMS is the first and only cash buyer of ships and offshore assets able to provide this special service. Last, we have just produced a really useful manual: The GMS Green Handbook: A Practical Guide to Monitor Safe and Environmentally Friendly Ship Recycling.

This guide covers ISO 9000, 14000, 18000 & 30000, HKC, EUSRR, Social Accountability aspects, ILO, Basel Technical Guidance on full and partial recycling of ships, Ship Breaking Code 2013 and many more. The purpose of this guide is to undertake a comprehensive, targeted evaluation for delivering responsible ship recycling practices at yards under the supervision and guidance of our GMS Green Team in a step-by-step approach while covering aspects of health, safety and working conditions in an effort to prove that “zero accidents at yards and near-zero pollution to the surrounding environment” is achievable.

Source: hellenic shipping news. 10 April 2017

http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/march-has-been-a-very-busy-month-for-the-gms-green-team/

Ship Arrested in Norway Following Disastrous Flight to Asian Recycling Yard:

Norway has arrested a ship which had to be rescued as it fled to a notorious South Asian recycling yard following a tip off that it had been sold illegally.

The Norwegian environmental authorities have arrested a ship following a tip off that it had been sold illegally and was destined for breaking in a dirty and dangerous South Asian recycling facility.

NGO Shipbreaking Platform and its member organisation Bellona explained that the vessel, is not allowed to leave Norway unless it is to sail to a ship recycling destination in line with international and European hazardous waste laws. According to the Norwegian Environment Agency, it is the first arrest of a vessel in Norway for the illegal export of hazardous waste..

The Platform explained that it had been informed already during the summer of 2015 that the ship was sold for scrap.

Having been laid up for many years on the Norwegian west coast the Platform said that it immediately contacted the Norwegian owners, Eide Group, to make them aware of the laws governing end-of-life ships and that exporting the vessel to a South Asian beaching yard would be in breach of the European Waste Shipment Regulation and the UN Basel Convention. Eide Group was said to have denied then that the vessel would be scrapped.

According to Shipbreaking Platform on 22 February 2017 the vessel attempted to leave Norway under a new name, flag and registered owner.

Now called TIDE CARRIER, the ship was said to have swapped its flag to that of Comoros and was registered under an anonymous St. Kitts and Nevis based post-box company, Julia Shipping. The organisation said that these are all solid indications that a cash buyer, a scrap dealer specialised in the trading of end-of-life ships to the South Asian beaching yards, was involved.

Drama on the High Seas

The TIDE CARRIER however ran into difficulties as the engine stopped working outside the Norwegian coast of Jaeren. The coastguards were forced to trigger a salvage operation, complicated by way of the weather conditions, to avoid the risk of oil spill and grounding close to one of the most renowned beaches in Norway.

The rescue operation included the emergency evacuation of five crew members – one of which suffered from a broken shoulder – and the deployment of two tugboats to bring the ship to safety.

Norwegian authorities have since then been trying to trace the owner and insurer of the vessel, given that someone should be held accountable for the costs of the rescue operation incurred by the Norwegian state.

While the authorities investigated the ownership and condition of the vessel, it remained docked in Gismarvik, Norway.

“We immediately informed Norwegian authorities that the ship was most likely sold for scrapping in South Asia and also that there were suspicions that the ship had been used to store hazardous sludge,” said Ingvild Jenssen, director at the NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

The Platform added that on Monday 4 April the Environment Agency and the Police found evidence that the vessel was under a “break up voyage” insurance from Norway to Gadani, Pakistan. They were also said to have found unidentified and excessive amounts of sludge and fuel oils.

What’s in a Name?

According to the NGO the previous week, while the vessel was still in the dock, the TIDE CARRIER changed name to HARRIER and changed from Comoros to another popular end-of-life flag - Palau.

Consequently, it was said to have became clear that the repair contract from Oman which had been provided to the Norwegian authorities as a way to escape checks for the illegal export of the vessel was false. Revelations of the attempt of the ship’s illegal export and subsequent breaking on the Gadani beach resulted in the arrest of the ship.

Shipbreaking Platform warned that this is not the first time cash buyers have sought to circumvent environmental protection laws by providing fake contracts of repair or further operational use.

Recently the Norwegian owned CITY OF TOKYO was said to have been allowed to leave the port of Antwerp under the pretence of repair work in Dubai – instead it sailed directly to the infamous beaching yards in Bangladesh.

The FPSO NORTH SEA PRODUCER was also said to have been illegally exported from the UK to Bangladesh under the pretence of further operational use in Nigeria. Cash buyer GMS reportedly used grey- and black listed Paris MoU flags and established anonymous post box companies in both cases.

“The cash buyers of TIDE CARRIER will not only have to pay back the Norwegian authorities for the rescue operation, but will also have to answer for the fake repair documents which were used to let it sail in the first place,” said Jenssen.

Norwegian owner Eide will have to be held responsible for having sold to a cash buyer as this clearly indicates their complicity in the attempt to illegally export the ship and the potentially toxic excess sludges and fuels found on board,” she concluded.

Source: waste management world. 06 April 2017

https://waste-management-world.com/a/ship-arrested-in-norway-following-disastrous-flight-to-asian-recycling-yard

Norwegian authorities play hardball

Norway, which as reported last year in ‘Maritime Journal’ has taken an assertive stance in outlawing dangerous South Asian shipbreaking practices, has further signalled its intent by arresting a vessel in one of its ports, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform has reported.

Having been informed by the Platform and its member organisation Bellona that the Tide Carrier (now named Harrier, aka Eide Carrier) had been sold for illegal, dirty and dangerous scrapping in a South Asian beaching facility, the Norwegian environmental authorities arrested the ship on Tuesday 5 April.

The vessel is not allowed to leave Norway unless it is to sail to a ship recycling destination in line with international and European hazardous waste laws. According to the Norwegian Environment Agency, it is the first arrest of a vessel in Norway for the illegal export of hazardous waste.

The Platform had been informed already during the summer of 2015 that the ship was sold for scrap. Having been laid up for many years on the Norwegian west coast the Platform immediately contacted the Norwegian owners Eide Group to make them aware of the laws governing end-of-life ships and that exporting the vessel to a South Asian beaching yard would be in breach of the European Waste Shipment Regulation and the UN Basel Convention. Eide Group denied then that the vessel would be scrapped.

FLAGS OF CONVENIENCE

On 22 February 2017 the vessel attempted to leave Norway under a new name, flag and registered owner. Now called Tide Carrier, the ship had swapped its flag to that of Comoros and was registered under an anonymous St. Kitts and Nevis based post-box company, Julia Shipping - all solid indications that a cash buyer, a scrap dealer specialised in the trading of end-of-life ships to the South Asian beaching yards, was involved.

The Tide Carrier however ran into difficulties as the engine stopped working outside the Norwegian coast of Jaeren. The coastguards were forced to trigger a salvage operation, complicated by way of the weather conditions, to avoid the risk of oil spill and grounding close to one of the most famous beaches in Norway. The rescue operation included the emergency evacuation of 5 crew members - one of whom suffered from a broken shoulder – and the deployment of two tugs to bring the ship to safety.

PAPER TRAIL

Norwegian authorities have since then been trying to trace the owner and insurer of the vessel, given that someone should be held accountable for the costs of the rescue operation incurred by the Norwegian state. While the authorities investigated the ownership and condition of the vessel, it remained docked in Gismarvik, Norway.

“We immediately informed Norwegian authorities that the ship was most likely sold for scrapping in South Asia and also that there were suspicions that the ship had been used to store hazardous sludge,” says Ingvild Jenssen, Director at the NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

On Monday 4 April the Environment Agency and the Police found evidence that the vessel was under a ‘break up voyage’ insurance from Norway to Gadani, Pakistan. They also found unidentified and excessive amounts of sludge and fuel oils. The previous week, while the vessel was still in the dock, the Tide Carrier changed its name to Harrier and changed from Comoros to another popular end-of-life flag: Palau. Consequently, it became clear that the repair contract from Oman which had been provided to the Norwegian authorities as a way to escape checks for the illegal export of the vessel was false. Revelations of the attempt of the ship’s illegal export and subsequent breaking on the Gadani beach resulted in the arrest of the ship.

This is not the first time cash buyers seek to circumvent environmental protection laws by providing fake contracts of repair or further operational use. Recently the Norwegian owned City of Tokyo was allowed to leave the port of Antwerp under the pretence of repair work in Dubai – instead it sailed directly to the infamous beaching yards in Bangladesh. The FPSO North Sea Producer was also illegally exported from the UK to Bangladesh under the pretence of further operational use in Nigeria. Cash buyer GMS used grey- and black listed Paris MoU flags and established anonymous post box companies in both cases.

“The cash buyers of Tide Carrier will not only have to pay back the Norwegian authorities for the rescue operation, but will also have to answer for the fake repair documents which were used to let it sail in the first place. Norwegian owner Eide will have to be held responsible for having sold to a cash buyer as this clearly indicates their complicity in the attempt to illegally export the ship and the potentially toxic excess sludges and fuels found on board,” said Ingvild Jenssen. 

Source: http://www.maritimejournal.com/news101/vessel-build-and-maintenance/vessel-repair-and-maintenance/norwegian-authorities-play-hardball#sthash.wOWuKOc6.dpuf

PRESS RELEASE – CONTROVERSIAL TIDE CARRIER UNDER ARREST IN NORWAY

Attempt to illegally export the ship to Pakistan revealed

Brussels/Oslo, 6 April 2017 – After having been informed by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform and its member organisation Bellona that the TIDE CARRIER (now named HARRIER, aka EIDE CARRIER) had been sold for illegal, dirty and dangerous scrapping to a South Asian beaching facility, the Norwegian environmental authorities arrested the ship on Tuesday 5 April [1]. The vessel is not allowed to leave Norway unless it is to sail to a ship recycling destination in line with international and European hazardous waste laws. According to the Norwegian Environment Agency, it is the first arrest of a vessel in Norway for the illegal export of hazardous waste.

The Platform had been informed already during the summer of 2015 that the ship was sold for scrap. Having been laid up for many years on the Norwegian west coast the Platform immediately contacted the Norwegian owners Eide Group to make them aware of the laws governing end-of-life ships and that exporting the vessel to a South Asian beaching yard would be in breach of the European Waste Shipment Regulation and the UN Basel Convention. Eide Group denied then that the vessel would be scrapped.

On 22 February 2017 the vessel attempted to leave Norway under a new name, flag and registered owner. Now called TIDE CARRIER, the ship had swapped its flag to that of Comoros and was registered under an anonymous St. Kitts and Nevis based post-box company, Julia Shipping – all solid indications that a cash buyer, a scrap dealer specialised in the trading of end-of-life ships to the South Asian beaching yards, was involved.

The TIDE CARRIER however ran into difficulties as the engine stopped working outside the Norwegian coast of Jaeren. The coastguards were forced to trigger a salvage operation, complicated by way of the weather conditions, to avoid the risk of oil spill and grounding close to one of the most renowned beaches in Norway. The rescue operation included the emergency evacuation of 5 crew members – one of which suffered from a broken shoulder – and the deployment of two tugboats to bring the ship to safety.

Norwegian authorities have since then been trying to trace the owner and insurer of the vessel, given that someone should be held accountable for the costs of the rescue operation incurred by the Norwegian state. While the authorities investigated the ownership and condition of the vessel, it remained docked in Gismarvik, Norway.

“We immediately informed Norwegian authorities that the ship was most likely sold for scrapping in South Asia and also that there were suspicions that the ship had been used to store hazardous sludge,” says Ingvild Jenssen, Director at the NGO Shipbreaking Platform.

On Monday 4 April the Environment Agency and the Police found evidence that the vessel was under a “break up voyage” insurance from Norway to Gadani, Pakistan. They also found unidentified and excessive amounts of sludge and fuel oils. The previous week, while the vessel was still in the dock, the TIDE CARRIER changed name to HARRIER and changed from Comoros to another popular end-of-life flag: Palau. Consequently, it became clear that the repair contract from Oman which had been provided to the Norwegian authorities as a way to escape checks for the illegal export of the vessel was false. Revelations of the attempt of the ship’s illegal export and subsequent breaking on the Gadani beach resulted in the arrest of the ship.

This is not the first time cash buyers seek to circumvent environmental protection laws by providing fake contracts of repair or further operational use. Recently the Norwegian owned CITY OF TOKYO was allowed to leave the port of Antwerp under the pretense of repair work in Dubai – instead it sailed directly to the infamous beaching yards in Bangladesh. The FPSO NORTH SEA PRODUCER was also illegally exported from the UK to Bangladesh under the pretense of further operational use in Nigeria [2]. Cash buyer GMS used grey- and black listed Paris MoU flags and established anonymous post box companies in both cases.

“The cash buyers of TIDE CARRIER will not only have to pay back the Norwegian authorities for the rescue operation, but will also have to answer for the fake repair documents which were used to let it sail in the first place. Norwegian owner Eide will have to be held responsible for having sold to a cash buyer as this clearly indicates their complicity in the attempt to illegally export the ship and the potentially toxic excess sludges and fuels found on board,” says Ingvild Jenssen.

Source: ship breaking platform. 06 April 20

http://www.shipbreakingplatform.org/press-release-controversial-tide-carrier-under-arrest-in-norway/

EMR Wins Contract To Recycle US Navy Aircraft Carrier

Metals recycler, EMR Group, has secured a contract with the US Navy to transport, dismantle and scrap its 60,000-ton decommissioned aircraft carrier, the USS Independence.

The USS Independence is the last of the Forrestal-class of “supercarriers” and it took its final journey last month. The 16,000 mile trip to take it from its current location at the Kitsap Naval Base in Bremerton, Washington, to the recycling yard in Brownsville, Texas, is expected to take just under three months.

The Brownsville site is a metal recycling yard operated by International Shipbreaking Ltd., part of the EMR Group. This will be the third carrier it has taken delivery of, after the arrival of the decommissioned USS Constellation in January 2015 followed by the retired USS Ranger (of Top Gun fame) in July 2015.

The carrier is being towed by a tug called the Dino Chouest and the journey will involve navigating down the west coast of the US, through the Straits of Magellan at the tip of South America and then back up the East coast of South America.

Chris Sheppard, chief executive officer of EMR Group, comments: “We take great pride in having been awarded another US Navy ship recycling contract. We’ve invested heavily in the International Shipbreaking Limited facilities to ensure we have the right technologies and people to complete the scale of specialist maritime recycling contracts in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

“Preparations at the Brownsville yard are nearing completion and the team are ready in anticipation for her arrival. It’s estimated that the dismantling and recycling of the aircraft carrier will be a two-year project.”

Source: ciwm-journal. 05 April 2017

http://ciwm-journal.co.uk/emr-wins-contract-recycle-us-navy-aircraft-carrier/

Singapore will host 5th Ship Recycling Congress on 26-27th July, 2017

ACI’s 5th Ship Recycling Congress will be taking place 26-27th July, 2017 in Singapore.

The organizers say the two day conference will consist of a number of informative presentations followed by interactive Q&A sessions, panel discussions and an open discussion to further involve the delegates. These talk will give a deep insight on the views shared from the different aspects of Ship Recycling.

The participants will explore and discuss current and future possibilities within the market. Reviewing methods in increasing ship recycling profitability despite the low steel prices as well as looking into solutions in bettering dangers and health risks within South East Asian Ports. Topics will also include insights into new technological and practical systems for hazardous waste tracking.

The conference will bring together various key industry stake-holders including Ship-owners, Ship-mangers & associated solution providers, fuel solutions, IT & data associations, consultants & technology providers.

Key topics:

· Industry Boom – Keeping up with Recycling Demands & the Correct Choice of Yard

· The Shipowners Conundrum

· European Policies Restricting the Asian Shipyards

· Recent Updates & Developments of Regional Shipbreaking Yards

· Commercial Use & Cash Buyer/ brokers; Obtaining Peace of Mind

· The Quality Gap

· Increased Performance & Improvements within Asian Shipyards

· The Next Step to Safer & Environmental Friendly Methods & Practices

· Technical Processes to Ensure Complete End-of-Life Cycle

· The European Effect & The Future of the HK Convention

Source: port news. 04 April 2017

http://en.portnews.ru/news/236894/

USS Independence on Time & on Course

The decommissioned aircraft carrier, USS Independence has just passed by Costa Rica on its final mission, from Bremerton and onward to Brownsville, Texas.

This is the first leg of a long 16,000 mile journey that will take the 60,000-ton super carrier around the tip of South America, transiting the Strait of Magellan and eventually into EMR Group’s International Shipbreaking Ltd. yard in Brownsville, Texas.

USS Independence left on her final journey on Saturday, March 11th from the Kitsap Naval Base in Bremerton, Washington to Brownsville, Texas and is expected to take just under three months.

The carrier is being towed by a tug named the Dino Chouest and the journey will involve navigating down the West coast of the Americas and then back up the East coast of South America. She follows two of her fellow Navy vessels to the same site in Brownsville – the USS Constellation and the USS Ranger (of Top Gun fame).

The Brownsville site is a metal recycling yard operated by International Shipbreaking Ltd., part of the EMR Group. The company won the Navy bid to recycle the 60,000-ton vessel, the last of the Forrestal-class of “supercarriers.”

Chris Green, the senior manager of the Brownsville site commented: “The scale of the logistical and towing preparation to set the USS Independence on her final voyage has been enormous. Preparations at the Brownsville yard are complete and the team is ready in anticipation for her arrival.

“We take great pride in having been awarded another US Navy ship recycling contract. It’s testament to our parent company EMR’s investment in the International Shipbreaking Ltd. facilities that we are able to complete large scale ship recycling contracts in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.”

The arrival of the USS Independence in Brownsville, likely to be in early June will be celebrated with a beach-side event.

Source: marine link. 3 April 2017

http://www.marinelink.com/news/independence-course-time423839.aspx

Ship-breaking workers’ safety to be improved:

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Secretary Shoaib Mir has said that the government was taking measures for the promotion of ship-breaking industry and trying to resolve problems being faced by people linked with it.

Presiding over a meeting during his visit to Gadani and talking to representatives of the Pakistan Ship-Breaking Association and the Gadani ship-breaking labour union, he said the industry’s future was linked to the safety and welfare of labourers.

He said that after establishing the Gadani Ship-Breaking Regulatory Authority and steps taken by the departments concerned there was progress in safety of labourers.

Officials of different departments related to ship-breaking industry and Lasbela Industrial Estate Development Authority attended the meeting and briefed the chief secretary on the performance and measures taken by the government for improving working conditions in the ship-breaking yard and welfare of labourers.

The chief secretary, however, said that it was responsibility of the ship-breaking association to launch development projects for the welfare of people of the area.

“The government will not tolerate any negligence in the safety of labourers working in the ship-breaking industry,” Mr Mir said.

He said the government would also take steps for the promotion of the Gadani ship-breaking industry and make it more profitable.

The President of Pakistan Ship Breaking Association, Akhlaq Meman, briefed the chief secretary on measures taken by his association for improvement of working conditions in Gadani shipyard. He said all required machinery and medicines, including ultrasound and laboratory equipment, had been provided to the Rural Health Centre, Gadani, while compensation of Rs1.5 million was paid to the family of each victims.

He offered to set up allied industry of ship-breaking if the government provided land to them. He suggested that a sub-office of the companies registrar should be established in Hub town so the ship-breakers could pay their sales tax in Balochistan instead of Sindh.

“Ship-breakers were paying Rs12 billion sales tax annually,” Mr Meman said.

The chief secretary assured the participants of the meeting that their proposals would be considered. He, however, said that an effective system would be evolved for monitoring all affairs of the Gadani shipyard, adding that the deputy commissioner of Lasbela had been appointed as focal person in this regard.

Source: dawn. 03 April 2017

https://www.dawn.com/news/1324487/ship-breaking-workers-safety-to-be-improved

Turkey ratifies Hong Kong convention on ship recycling

The Turkish Parliament has ratified The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (“the Convention”) on 7 March 2017. Turkey had become a signatory to the Convention on 26 August 2010. The field work which constitutes the foundation of the Convention has been carried out and the Turkish ship recycling facilities have been examined by international organisations. According to information obtained from the Istanbul & Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranian and Black Sea Regions Chamber of Shipping, all Turkish ship recycling facilities comply with the standards set out in the Convention. Furthermore, the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication has played an active role in the drafting of the Convention.

The thrust of the Convention is to set standards for ships and ship recycling facilities to ensure they operate in a manner that does not pose any risk to human health, safety and the environment.

The rules stipulated by the Convention address a multitude of issues, such as:

- the handling of environmentally hazardous substances such as asbestos, heavy metals and hydrocarbons, which may be contained in vessels that are sold for scrapping;

- the appropriate construction and operation of vessels in order to ensure safe and sound recycling;

- the standards to be maintained by ship recycling facilities in order to ensure secure working and environmental conditions;

- the establishment of an enforcement mechanism for ship recycling, including certification and reporting obligations.

Pursuant to the Convention, an inventory of existing hazardous materials shall have to be kept for all ships. Hazardous materials which are prohibited on ships and in shipyards of the Convention countries are listed in an appendix to the Convention. Ships will also have to undergo a number of surveys prior to recycling in order to verify the inventory of hazardous materials, based on which ship recycling facilities will procure a “Ship Recycling Plan”, setting out the manner in which each ship will be recycled.

Convention countries will be required to take sufficient steps in order to guarantee that ship recycling facilities comply with the standards stipulated in the Convention, aiming to ensure secure working and environmental conditions.

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 per cent of world merchant shipping (by gross tonnage), and

 - A combined maximum annual ship recycling volume not less than 3 per cent of the combined tonnage of the ratifying states.

Turkey was the sixth country to ratify the Convention, following Norway, Congo, France, Belgium and Panama. Denmark has taken first steps towards ratifying the Convention and is expected to do so in spring 2017.

Related to the Convention, the European Union (“EU”) has implemented Regulation No. 1257/2013 (“the Regulation”), which aims to facilitate an early ratification of the Convention by EU member and non-member states as well as raising the bar. Pursuant to Article 16 of the Regulation, ship recycling facilities must be approved by competent authorities for member states and the European Commission for non-member states in order to be included in the “European List” and for that matter to be able to recycle ships flying the flag of an EU-member state. Turkish ship recycling facilities are keen to be part of the European List and are confident they will be in the coming months. For further information about the Regulation and the European List, please follow this linkto our news alert regarding this matter.

Source: 31 March 2017

http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=f38ed5e3-46eb-4958-b38d-cb01c1445dad