With shipping set to go through a once-in-a-lifetime energy transition and the likely volumes of outdated vessels heading for the scrapheap projected to soar, Asian shipowners have made an urgent call for more countries to offer reliable, green recycling options, says an article published in Splash247.
Stringent environmental regulations
Citing Clarksons Research data, the Asian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) said 2023 recycling volumes are projected to reach 45.5m dwt, up from around 24.3m dwt in 2021 with similar numbers expected this year, due to the impact of more stringent environmental regulations and wider green pressure, which will accelerate the recycling of many of the aged ships. The pandemic had shown the need for more recycling destinations, the ASA pointed out.
The ASA noted that although the number of shipowners aiming for environmentally-friendly ship recycling is increasing, there are still many of them who are less interested in this issue.
Hong Kong Convention
It, therefore, reaffirmed the recognition that the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) for ship recycling coming into force will be essential reset minds via mandatory international rule. “This year will be an extremely important year for satisfying the requirements for early entry into force of the HKC,” it stated.
Green recycling
India continues and is expected to be the core of green recycling. But the association said it would like to see the growth of HKC green yards also in Bangladesh and plans to dispatch a delegation to promote dialogue between ship recyclers and concerned government officials and help improve the environment for ratifying the HKC by the first quarter of 2023.
China is the only country that holds the trigger in 2022 for the early fulfillment of the HKC’s requirements. “We will raise our voices until the precious value of ratification by China is achieved. We hope that China will proceed with ratifying the convention within this year as a leader for sustaining global environmental conservation,” the ASA added.
SteelZero initiative
Signing up for the SteelZero initiative last week, Danish carrier Maersk said that more than 700 of its operated vessels are projected to be recycled in the next decade.
Speaking on the occasion, Palle Laursen, senior vice president and chief technical officer at Maersk, noted: “Global ship recycling volumes are projected to nearly double by 2028 and quadruple by 2033. Recycled steel will progressively be recognised as a viable raw material for steel consumers with net-zero emissions targets.”
Impending legislation from the International Maritime Organization such as EEXI and CII is widely anticipated to make a tranche of the global fleet obsolete.
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Source: Splash247
