ASRY to break up ship for green recycler EEC

 A relative newcomer on the ship recycling scene, EEC has acquired from Taiwan-based container line, Wan Hai Lines.

The Netherlands-based ship recycling firm acquired the 25-year-old vessel in preparation for her sustainable and responsible recycling at ASRY, one of the Middle East’s largest ship repair facilities in Bahrain.  

EEC is planning “to revolutionise the ship recycling industry by introducing cutting-edge finance and industrial processes”, the company explained. It plans to buy and own a fleet of older ships that will be operated until their planned recycling date at which time they will be sold for sustainable and responsible recycling. To ensure a reliable production process, EEC will also purchase ships for prompt recycling to fill any gaps in the process.

The Wan Hai 165 is now alongside in ASRY and the first job first will be to free the vessel of hazardous substances. The vessel's accommodation block will then be removed deck by deck before the ship is placed in a floating dock to reduce its weight to about 4,500 tonnes. The hull will then be pulled up the slipway for further dismantling. Steel blocks of around 25 tonnes will be transported to secondary and tertiary cutting zones before being transferred to a nearby steel production facility.

Related:Recycling sector beset by regulatory and capacity challenges

Listen to a regulatory update on ship recycling on the Seatrade Maritime Podcast

Company Chairman, Uday Yellapurkar, said: “The fact that our game-changing concept has been validated through the winning of this ship in a global open public tender from an unrelated highly reputable and ethical company speaks volumes and solidifies our proof of concept.”

Mazen Matar, ASRY Managing Director, revealed the company’s strategy. “As ASRY continues on its modernisation drive, environmental sustainability is a vital part of the facility’s future operations. As a responsible member of the maritime industry, we must not tolerate harmful and dangerous practices of ship recycling, which are common practice across the globe.

“We have now achieved compliance with the strictest international standings,” he continued, “with a view to being able to offer a sustainable, responsible, and affordable alternative for vessel owners with end-of-life maritime assets. There is also a natural synergy with nearby steel production facilities, who can benefit from this new initiative.”

ASRY, which is the region’s older repair yard, was established as a pan-Arab venture more than 50 years ago. It has recently been validated for responsible recycling under the IMO’s Hong Kong Convention and the European Union Ship Recycling Regulation. The shipyard has also obtained ISO 30000 certification for ship recycling from DNV.