ClassNK's
recent certification of two shipbreaking yards in Alang has drawn flak from
recycling watchdogs, which question the effectiveness of the yards' use of
impermeable flooring.
While
the Japanese classification society told IHS Maritime that impermeable flooring
is a "key" criterion for breakers to gain its compliance
certification, activists claim the shipyards' methods fail to adequately
safeguard against pollution.
Last
month, ClassNK issued certificates to RL Kalthia Ship Breaking and Priya Blue
Industries that confirm they are "in line with the Hong Kong International
Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009
[HKC]", according to the class society.
Yet
environment advocates argue the two yards present pollution risks because their
impermeable flooring is only on the upper part of the beach, not where ship
cutting is carried out.
Ingvild
Jenssen, founder and policy advisor for activist group NGO Shipbreaking Platform,
told IHS Maritime that ship recycling in Alang is carried out on an
"intertidal zone which is not cemented/impermeable and where cut-off steel
blocks are allowed to fall before being winched up to the secondary cutting
zone".
While
acknowledging that cut-off blocks "can fall within the ship structure,
thus the hull is used as impermeable flooring", Jenssen claimed "the
first blocks are not able to fall within the ship" so would fall onto the
beach.
She
also criticised the "gravity method" as "a dangerous practice
that should be replaced by the use of cranes to lift the cut-off blocks".
Answering
this concern, Leopold said: “Yes, the gravity method can be dangerous if not
properly executed and the workers are not following the safety guidelines, as
implemented into the SRFP (Ship Recycling Facility Plan). [But] there is no
technical reason to condemn the gravity method, quite the contrary, it can be
more dangerous to move heavy swinging parts with cranes in heights, if not
properly executed.”
ClassNK
said that under the HKC, ship recycling facilities (SRFs) can prevent harmful
spills or emissions in intertidal zones from dirty blocks and equipment
"by covering the workspace with impermeable flooring and installing a
drainage system which has sufficient capacity to handle hazardous materials
with proper procedure and operation".
"Thus,
impermeable flooring was one of the key conditions ClassNK examined before
issuing statements of compliance to the two SRFs in India," said the class
society.
Spokespeople
for the two yards confirmed to IHS Maritime via email that the yards use the
"gravity method" and that the blocks are then lifted to the area of
the beach covered with impermeable flooring.
But
Gerd Leopold, a spokesperson for Priya Blue, said the company applies methods
that prevent pollution.
"It
is of utmost importance to follow the guidelines, issued by ClassNK, to be in
line with safety standards and to avoid any kind of pollution," said
Leopold, commenting on behalf of Priya Blue director Sanjay Mehta.
"The
blocks are cleaned properly before cutting. Then the block falls into the ship.
Subsequently further cleaning is done. Thereafter the blocks are cut into small
parts and then by the help of cranes blocks are shifted to the impermeable
flooring [Second Cutting Zone] for further cutting."
Leopold
added that the yard would be "willing" to invest in a large crane and
shift from the gravity method, if this were made possible through greater
investment from shipowners.
But
he emphasised that this purchase would only be on the basis that “using a
higher carrying capacity would increase the productivity” of the yard.
He
added that only "a very small group of owners" are considering
"green recycling at the highest international standards" and are
willing to accept a lower price to deliver to a green yard.
Chintan
Kalthia, of RL Kalthia Ship Breaking, similarly explained that blocks "cut
from the sides of the ships are falling into the ships" but some
"clean" blocks "fall in the sand or the sea".
"Only
clean blocks are allowed to be dropped in the inter-tidal zone", from
where they "are winched on[to] shore before high tide", he said.
Kalthia
also claimed this practice presents no risks of pollution. "The soil
samples have not shown concentrations which are of concern," he said.
He
added that ships sent for recycling "have mostly not so much paint left on
the underwater hull, as all anti-fouling coatings are abrasive and ships keep
releasing them during normal operations. Ships are usually not sold for
recycling with freshly applied anti-foulings".
Leopold
is keen for the recycling method of these two ClassNK/Hong Kong Convention
compliant yards to be known as "intertidal landing" rather than
"beaching", which he views as having "negative connotations".
The
vital issue is "whether the vessel itself is safely secured and the
environment is protected against any kind of pollution", he added. At
Priya Blue, the vessel is secured by chains tied to winches on the yard, said
Leopold.
"The
vessel will be recycled strictly in line with the SRFP [Ship Recycling Facility
Plan], which means all tanks are emptied, all liquids removed, even before the
cutting starts," he said.
"This
will be checked from local authorities before they give cutting permission."
Before
intertidal landing, oil booms are tied around the vessel so they can be lowered
to trap any spillage, he added.
"The
leading yards at Alang have invested in the future, without any support, in
order to be certified to work in compliance with the Hong Kong Convention and
fulfil future requirements," said Leopold.
Yet
Jenssen said the "true test" of whether the yards in Alang operate in
a safe and environmentally sound manner is "whether they will pass the EU
test for approval to be listed on the upcoming EU list of ship-recycling
facilities".
Source:
ihsmaritime360. 15 October 2015
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