The Hong Kong International Convention for Safe Ship Recycling will take effect on June 26, 2025, following ratification by Bangladesh and Liberia. Its goal is to ensure environmentally sound ship recycling that poses no undue risks to human health or the environment when ships reach the end of their operational life.
Ship Recycling Regulation
- All vessels falling under the Convention’s scope must carry an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) and a Statement of Compliance issued by their Recognized Organization (RO) after IHM verification.
- Compliance with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR), which includes holding a verified IHM, aligns with HKC requirements.
Inventory of Hazardous Materials -IHM
The IHM is a ship-specific document divided into three parts (I – III), although Part II and III are only necessary when the vessel is earmarked for recycling. IHM development should follow the MEPC.379 (80) guidelines, and when external expertise is employed, it should come from a different entity than the RO verifying the IHM.
Hong Kong Recycling
- When deciding to recycle a ship, operators should be aware of potentially applying two different regulatory regimes: the HK Convention and the Basel Convention. The applicable Convention hinges on the ship’s type, the recycling decision’s location, and the destination country for recycling.
- Operators planning ship recycling should seek expert advice from both the exporting and importing countries to ensure compliance with both the HK Convention and, where applicable, the Basel Convention. This dual-check ensures a responsible and environmentally sound recycling process.
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Source: Isle of Man
