Containership scrappage rates are expected to exceed previous records this year, but cellular capacity removed due to demolition will still be surpassed by a ratio of one to three by newbuilding deliveries, reported Lloyd’s List citing Alphaliner. If the current recycling trend of boxships continues, the total capacity consigned to breakers’ yards in 2013 could reach 450,000 teu – exceeding the previous record of 381,000 teu set in 2009. This acceleration in scrapping is mainly attributed to the rush to remove redundant panamax ships where charter hire rates for a 4,200 teu unit are at depressed levels, averaging below $10,000 per day. This compares to a 12 – year average of $24,000 per day and a January 2005 peak of almost $45,000 per day, Alphaliner said. Moreover, the average age for scrapping of containerships has fallen to 22 years, versus the historical level of 25 to 30 years, but there is also an increase in the number of so – called ‘ teenagers ’, ships under 20 years, being sold for scrap, Alphaliner explained.

EU ship owners could face penalties for scrapping vessels in the developing world under revised proposals by the European Parliament's Environment Committee for a ship recycling scheme funded by a recycling levy. According to MEPs the plans would clean up the scrapping of old ships and ensure the materials are recycled in EU-approved facilities in-line with the 'polluter pays' principle. The EU Parliament explained that the draft regulation aims to reduce the adverse effects of careless scrapping, such as accidents, injuries or damage to human health or the environment, by ensuring that EU ships, and non-EU ships that have called regularly at EU ports, are scrapped in EU-approved facilities worldwide. "Currently, most EU ships are sent to South-East Asia at the end of their lives, where they are beached and their hazardous materials harm human health and the environment," claimed Carl Schlyter, the MEP steering the legislation through Parliament. www.waste-managem...

A fire broke out in plot number 48 at Asia's largest ship breaking yard at Alang in Bhavnagar district on Sunday evening, Jan 13,2013. P D Vyas, fire officer of Alang fire station, said fire brigade personnel had extinguished the fire in the cabin of an anchored ship. The reason as to what had caused the fire is being investigated. There was no report of any casualty. Six labourers had died in a major fire that broke out at the ship yard in October, 2012.

India makes history in terms of maximum number of ships beached this year, with 527 vessels making an average of 1.4 ships beached per day. With 5.2 Mil Metric Ton being recycled from ships, Ship Recycling in India contributed to 9 Pct of total steel manufactured in India.

The ongoing confrontation between police and ship-breakers and the resultant strike at Asia’s largest ship-recycling yard Alang-Sosiya in Bhavnagar promises to be longer than expected; the district’s top police officer on Tuesday said there is no question of bowing to demands to water down “culpable homicide” charges under which three executives of a ship-breaking company have been booked after an explosion and fire on-board a tank-ship that killed six workers 10 days ago. www.financialexpr...

Ship-breakers at the Alang-Sosiya Ship-Recycling Yard went on an indefinite strike on Friday, Oct. 12, 2012 demanding to drop the culpable homicide charge against three colleagues arrested in connection with the death of six workers during dismantling of a ship last week. The Ship Recycling Industries Association (SRIA), which spearheaded the strike, said it was not unhappy with the arrests per se, but against the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section under which R K Jani, V K Jani and Rajesh Jugud were booked following their arrest on Thursday. www.expressindia....

Various agencies continued to conduct investigations into Saturday’s explosion and fire onboard a beached tanker at the Alang-Sosiya Ship Recycling yard. The mishap onboard MT Union Brave killed five workers on the spot while another died during treatment on Sunday. One worker is being treated for severe burns. As per protocol, the Gujarat Maritime Board, the nodal agency at the yard, Sunday sealed plot no. 82, where the accident took place, pending the completion of enquiries. www.expressindia....

Aug 3, 2012) Indian ship recyclers have been forced to adhere to the Basel Convention regarding the import of hazardous wastes, Tanker Operator reports. Faced with a petition from Indian-based environmental organisation ToxicsWatch Alliance, on 30th July, India’s Supreme Court ruled that vessels arriving for recycling in Indian waters containing hazardous materials, such as asbestos or PCBs, must follow the Basel Convention on global movements of hazardous wastes. This ruling means that India can no longer accept ships from Europe, or the US. It also means that India must first be notified as to all hazardous materials contained on board and must approve ship importation from all sources for scrapping, prior to the vessel’s arrival in India, Basel Action Network said. Read more at www.tankeroperato...

India now enjoys the dubious distinction of having emerged as the largest centre of ship-breaking in the world with 415 ships having been broken in the ship-breaking yards of Alang in 2011-12. Another 150 giant behemoths, used to ferry millions of tons of goods across the globe but no longer seaworthy, are waiting there to be broken down. From 1983 to 2012, statistics collected by Toxics Watch Alliance show that 532 “toxic” ships have been broken down along the Gujarat coastline. Pakistan has emerged as the number two ship-breaking country followed by Bangladesh and China, but in the latter country ships are broken in dry docks and not along the coast. www.asianage.com/...

Mumbai: India's multi-million dollar shipbreaking industry could be controlled by the country's most wanted man Dawood Ibrahim, according to an intelligence report by the ministry of defence, SeatradeAsia rports. Certain Pakistani nationals involved with organised crime syndicate D-Company, headed by Ibrahim, have taken a major stake in India's shipbreaking industry, investing tens of millions of rupees to smuggle contraband, arms and explosives with the participation of foreign agents during their ship dismantling operations, the report said. Intelligence sources said scrap deals are used as cover-ups for money laundering purposes, as the deals are fixed by paying in hard cash with the collusion of corrupt local officials. Read more at www.seatrade-asia...