The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published a new Ship Recycling Guide providing expanded advice to shipowners and other key stakeholders on compliance with the provisions of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (Hong Kong Convention).
This comes following the announcement from Bangladesh of its intent to ratify the Hong Kong Convention, a significant move towards ensuring that decommissioned vessels do not unnecessarily endanger human health, safety, or the environment.
Adopted in 2009, the Convention aims to reduce risks to health, safety and the environment and stipulates ships sent for recycling carry an inventory of all hazardous materials on board. Recycling facilities are required to provide a Ship Recycling Plan, specifying how each vessel will be recycled, based on its particular characteristics and its inventory of hazardous materials.
The new guide includes details on all the relevant regulations (including the European ship recycling regulation), surveys, development, and maintenance of the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM), how to sell a ship for recycling as well as how to prepare it for sale.
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is the principal international trade association for merchant shipowners and operators, representing all sectors and trades and over 80% of the world merchant fleet.