THE Asian Shipowners Forum (ASF) has called for the development of environmentally-friendly ship recycling yards in multiple countries to deal with global demand for ship demolition, which is forecast to remain high in the coming years.
In a position paper adopted at the 24th annual meeting of the ASF held in Jeju, South Korea, the organisation - which consists of eight members from the shipowners' associations of Asia Pacific nations - said that if such recycling yards were only located in a certain country, this could result in demurrage for vessels to be recycled and prolong the lifetime of older vessels.
Furthermore, the vessels will have to travel longer distances, incurring additional bunker expenses to reach the yard.
The ASF reiterated its position that the International 2009 Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, which has been adopted by governments, the shipping industry, the recycling industry and the shipbuilding industry, "is the only, best and final solution to enhance safety and environment protection for recycling".
The organisation called on governments to ratify the convention as soon as possible explaining that "any unilateral regional regulation cannot be a final solution towards the improvement of recycling yards all over the world, as long as it does not present practically feasible ways to upgrade facilities which take into account practices for ship recycling methods subject to topographic conditions in major ship recycling countries".
Commenting on the ship recycling method commonly used in South Asian countries, the ASF said that in light of the necessity of ensuring sufficient capacity of environmentally friendly ship recycling yards in multiple countries, each recycling facility should be assessed not in respect of ship recycling methods but on a case-by-case basis on whether requirements pertaining to safety and environmental protection are met.
It pointed out that there are advanced, safe and environmentally friendly yards upgraded, with consultation of third parties, in harmony with the Hong Kong Convention even in South Asia where recyclers have no alternative to use a certain ship recycling methods subject to geographical constraints.
SHIP RECYCLING
25 May 2015 - 18:59
Asian shipowners call for more green recycling yards to cope scrappings
THE Asian Shipowners Forum (ASF) has called for the development of environmentally-friendly ship recycling yards in multiple countries to deal with global demand for ship demolition, which is forecast to remain high in the coming years.
SHIP RECYCLING
25 May 2015 - 18:59
Asian shipowners call for more green recycling yards to cope scrappings
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