- EWD Benli Recycling GmbH became the first German company authorized to recycle seagoing vessels domestically.
- This milestone marks a new chapter for the German maritime industry and resource conservation.
- Currently, around 700 vessels are decommissioned worldwide annually, with 90% scrapped in South Asia under lower environmental and safety standards.
- EU regulations and upcoming global rules are expected to boost EU ship recycling competitiveness.
- Other German companies, including Bremen’s Leviathan GmbH, have also applied for recycling permits.
EWD Benli Recycling GmbH has received official approval from German authorities to dismantle and recycle seagoing vessels within Germany—an unprecedented development. The parent company, Emder Werft und Dock GmbH (EWD), confirmed this landmark permit, validated by Lower Saxony’s Ministry of the Environment in Hanover and reported by the German Press Agency.
Demand and Environmental Significance
EWD highlighted strong demand, especially from government-owned older ships, noting that until now, no recycling had been possible domestically. Experts view ship recycling as both a promising new business avenue for the German maritime sector and a crucial step toward resource conservation by recovering steel and other valuable materials for reuse.
Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister Christian Meyer (Greens) criticized past practices of sending decommissioned vessels primarily to Southeast Asia, where poor environmental and social conditions prevailed, calling it an “environmental disaster.”
Global Ship Decommissioning Context
Worldwide, about 700 seagoing vessels are retired annually. According to the German Shipowners’ Association, roughly 90% have historically been scrapped in South Asia—especially Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India—where environmental regulations and occupational health standards are less stringent than in Europe.
Regulatory Framework and Future Outlook
An existing EU regulation mandates that certain EU-flagged ships be dismantled only at approved yards listed by the EU, many of which are in Turkey. With uniform global rules for safe, eco-friendly ship recycling set to come into force mid-2025, industry experts expect enhanced competitiveness of EU shipbreaking facilities.
This development is likely to spur growth in Germany’s maritime recycling sector. Besides EWD, Bremen-based Leviathan GmbH has also submitted an application to operate ship recycling at the Volkswerft shipyard in Stralsund.
Did you subscribe to our Daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Bluewin
