The NGO Shipbreaking Platform welcomes the NOK 8 million fine imposed on Norwegian ship management company Altera Infrastructure for the illegal scrapping of the two shuttle tankers NAVION BRITANNIA and ALEXITA SPIRIT on the beach of Alang, India. Initially, the company contested the fine, and a trial was scheduled for January 2025. However, Altera has now accepted the penalty, thereby avoiding a trial.

Despite EU rules prohibiting the export of end-of-life ships from EU waters to non-OECD countries, the two tankers, having reached the end of their operational life, were sold sent for dismantling at a beaching facility in India. Beaching involves scrapping ships in the intertidal zone without containment and causes severe pollution, including heavy metal contamination of sensitive coastal ecosystems. Workers at these yards also face significant health and safety risks due to lack of protective measures.