In 2012 more than 1300 ocean-going ships were sold for breaking. Only a minority of these end-of-life vessels were handled in a safe, sustainable manner. About two thirds of the ships were simply run ashore on tidal beaches in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This article takes a look at how ship recycling can become cleaner and safer.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh have signed a landmark agreement to work together to improve safety and environmental standards in the country’s ship-recycling industry.
The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) met for its 65th session from 13 to 17 May 2013, at IMO Headquarters in London. Among others the Committee made significant progress in its work on further developing energy-efficiency regulations, adopting a MEPC Resolution on Promotion of Technical Co-operation and Transfer of Technology relating to the Improvement of Energy Efficiency of Ships and giving the go-ahead to carry out an update to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions’ estimate for international shipping. Moreover, a draft Assembly resolution to address the implementation of the Ballast Water Management convention has been approved and approved a number of ballast water treatment systems.
While ship recycling topic suggests the end of life cycle of ships, it is in fact related to the whole life cycle of the ship. Some aspects to be considered in ship recycling are the legislative background, practical experience gained and the risks that stakeholders might face.
Pakistani men use little more than their bare hands to dismantle an abandoned oil tanker for scrap metal.
A few days ago three labourers were killed while working in the Gadani ship-breaking yard on the Balochistan coast. Several labourers were working in the ship-breaking yard, about 50 kilometres northwest of Karachi, when heavy iron rubble from a ship’s deck fell on them, killing three of them on the spot and injuring several others. The labourers were immediately shifted to Karachi.
An explosion and subsequent fire on-board a beached tanker at the Alang-Sosiya Ship Recycling Yard in India killed five workers and severely injured two others on Saturday, according to Indian officials. The fire broke out at 12.45 pm on the 163-metre-long MT Union Brave, a tank-ship purchased recently by Bhavnagar-based Kiran Ship Breaking Co. for recycling. The vessel was beached at plot 82.
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Officer of the Watch 