Tag: clean&safe

Press Release – Platform publishes list of ships dismantled worldwide in 2025

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform publishes its 2025 annual list of ships dismantled worldwide. The data reveals that 85% of the global tonnage scrapped last year was broken down on three beaches in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

 

321 vessels were dismantled globally last year, of which 214 ended up in South Asia. Bangladesh and India remain the shipping industry’s first choices for scrapping, despite the documented grave consequences beaching ships has on workers, local communities and fragile coastal ecosystems. Eleven workers lost their lives in South Asia in 2025, with at least another sixty-two workers injured due to unsafe working practices.

 

One of the most serious incidents occurred at Ziri Subedar yard in Chattogram, Bangladesh, where an oil tank explosion injured eight workers during the dismantling operations of the BANGLAR JYOTI, a vessel owned by the Government of Bangladesh.

 

Bangladesh has already approved seventeen yards under the International Maritime Organisation’s Hong Kong Convention (HKC), which entered into force in June 2025. Yet, serious accidents continue to occur even at these yards, and incident reporting remains opaque or entirely absent. While in India no shipbreaking yards have so far been authorised under the HKC, more than 100 shipbreaking plots in Alang-Sosiya hold private Statements of Compliance with the Convention’s requirements.

"Clearly, the Hong Kong Convention does not set a standard that ensures safe and environmentally sound practices. Now under review at the IMO, it will be key to bolster its requirements, including ways to phase out the fatally flawed beaching method. At the same time, better enforcement of the Basel Convention’s restrictions on hazardous waste trade need to be ensured through measures that effectively hold the shipping industry accountable. This entails shifting responsibility to the states that actually have control over the owners of assets intended for disposal."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform
Chattogram's shipbreaking beach in Bangladesh - January 2026 - © Spencer Call
Alang's shipbreaking beach in India - 2025 - © RTS
Shipbreaking in Chattogram, Bangladesh - January 2026 - © Spencer Call
Shipbreaking in Chattogram, Bangladesh - January 2026 - © Spencer Call

 

The Platform also warns that the low number of ships that have been scrapped these past years due to favourable operating rates hides a growing backlog of aging tonnage that is expected to head for the breaking yards in the coming years. Included in the backlog are hundreds of tankers operating in the so-called dark fleet, some of which in 2025 were claimed to be illicitly traded to Indian beaching yards using cash, crypto and foreign currencies to avoid sanctions. These developments, combined with indications that the dark fleet may be far larger than widely assumed, risk fuelling a parallel and opaque shipbreaking economy where safety standards, environmental protections, and waste controls will remain easily bypassed.

"The many vessels that will be heading for scrap, including the dark fleet, must be recycled at safe, transparent, and fully regulated facilities — away from beaching practices. Existing facilities that already meet these standards, including ship recycling yards in the European Union, continue to operate at significant under-capacity, underscoring that safe alternatives do exist but remain systematically overlooked by the shipping sector."
Nicola Mulinaris - Senior Communication and Policy Advisor - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

DUMPERS 2025 – Worst practices

 

China tops the 2025 Dumpers List, with 21 Chinese-owned vessels sold to South Asian shipbreakers, mainly in Bangladesh. This despite China’s domestic capacity to recycle ships in dry-dock facilities. 

 

South Korea and the UAE are close runner-ups to Worst Dumpers, with 19 and 17 vessels beached, respectively. More than 60 vessels furthermore departed from these countries’ territorial waters for dismantling in South Asia. The UAE Ship Recycling Regulation, which entered into force in June 2025, however, explicitly prohibits vessels from leaving UAE territorial waters for scrapping at beaching- and landing yards, as these methods are not deemed safe and environmentally sound. International law is also clear: all transboundary movements of hazardous waste, including end-of-life ships, need to obtain Prior Informed Consent (PIC) in line with the Basel Convention and only be approved when safe and environmentally sound practices all the way to disposal are ensured. Exports of end-of-life ships from OECD to non-OECD countries are furthermore banned by international law, breaches of which are considered serious environmental crimes, as witnessed by cases brought to European courts.

 

Greek shipping magnate Vangelis Marinakis is the 2025 Worst Corporate Dumper. A Reporters United investigation into the illegal end-of-life sale of the tanker TRADER III — linked to companies controlled by Marinakis — shows how one of Europe’s most powerful shipping figures profits on selling toxic ships to Bangladesh, enabled by what a senior Greek official describes as a “policy of deliberate indifference”. The report traces the vessel’s final voyage from Turkey through Greek waters and onward to Chattogram, where it was beached at KR Ship Recycling Industries yard on 15 March 2025, completing several transactions designed to evade EU laws and externalise the costs of safely managing toxic waste to vulnerable communities and ecosystems in the Global South. Another Marinakis-linked tanker, the TRADER II, met the same fate on the same beach in September.

 

The TRADER II beached in Chattogram, Bangladesh in January 2026 - © Spencer Call

 

Other well-known owners — including Norwegian Green Reefers and Odfjell, South Korean H-Line, Hyundai LNG Shipping and SK Shipping, Cypriot cruise company Louis PLC, Greek Polys Haji-Ioannou Group, Japanese NYK Line and Mitsui OSK, and Swiss MSC — have contributed to the shipping industry’s toxic footprint, sending their end-of-life vessels for scrapping in the Global South. Lila Global, acting as the ship-owning arm of cash buyer GMS, also sent several vessels to yards in Bangladesh and India.

 

Recently, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) adopted new decommissioning guidelines urging its members to avoid beaching and intermediaries such as cash buyers. While IOGP members Petrobras, SBM, and Shell already follow these guidelines, gas carriers and traders such as US-controlled Seapeak [1] and Thai Siamgas externalise their costs onto vulnerable communities and the environment in Bangladesh. According to local sources two workers lost their lives during beaching operations of the SEAPEAK ASIA, owned by Seapeak. The body of one shipbreaking worker and the severed body parts of another were recovered on the coast. A co-worker of the deceased and witness to the incident told media correspondents that they were struck by the SEAPEAK ASIA during night-time operations at KR Ship Recycling Yard, a plot authorised under the IMO’s Hong Kong Convention. 

 

The SEAPEAK ASIA beached in Chattogram, Bangladesh in January 2026 - © Spencer Call

 

This fatal incident is not an isolated workplace tragedy, but part of a wider end-of-life shipping model in which regulatory loopholes and weak oversight converge at the point of dismantling. Vessels’ end-of-life phase is increasingly recognised as high-risk for environmental violations and financial crime. The widespread use of Flags of Convenience (FOCs), layered ownership structures, and offshore intermediaries enables shipowners to evade regulation and obscure accountability. Prior scrapping, vessels are commonly reflagged to a small group of low-oversight FOCs — such as Comoros, Palau, St. Kitts and Nevis — a practice known as flag-hopping and which allows easy circumvention of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation and Hong Kong Convention. In the case of the SEAPEAK ASIA, the vessel’s rapid flag changes — from Spain to the Bahamas in September, and again in December to St Kitts and Nevis — appear designed to evade the EU Ship Recycling Regulation, which requires EU-flagged ships to be scrapped only in EU-approved yards. No yards in South Asia are on the EU List as they do not comply with the Regulation’s requirements. 

 

According to a recently published European Commission report, profits from scrap vessel sales — inflated by avoiding EU-compliant dismantling requirements — can be channelled through shell companies in low-tax jurisdictions using FOCs to disguise beneficial ownership, evade taxation, and launder proceeds linked to other illicit maritime activities such as illegal fishing or sanctions evasion.

 

Turkey is one of the few non-EU destinations that can receive EU-flagged end-of-life vessels — yet its ship recycling sector has come under mounting scrutiny. In Aliağa, civil society groups have challenged the sector’s EIA exemption and filed a criminal complaint alleging systemic regulatory failure. Public pressure led to calls for the EU to withdraw approvals for all yards, a call now also supported by 20 Turkish MPs.

 

In the last months, the sector in Aliağa saw three fatal accidents, including one at EU approved facility Temurtaşlar, and a major fire at Simsekler yard involving the FSO SLOUG, which still held an estimated 6,000 tons of petroleum. Meanwhile, Aliağa Municipality uncovered illegal dumpsites containing 15,000 tons of hazardous waste originating from the ship recycling sector.

 

At the EU level, broader economic and industrial transformations aimed at enhancing clean industries are taking place. Trade unions, the recycling and steel sectors, and civil society organisations are calling on the EU to curb the export of EU owned end-of-life vessels that may cause harm to third countries and recognise the role maritime secondary steel can play in decarbonising not only steel production, but also construction. 

"Emerging regional strategies, such as those focused on strategic autonomy in raw materials, have renewed attention on scrap steel, bringing ship recycling into focus as a valuable source of high-quality materials. Companies like CMA CGM and Höegh Autoliners are already engaging with the steel sector and innovative start-ups such as Oppsirk, and by that stepping forward as market drivers for solutions that will enhance decarbonisation and circularity."
Benedetta Mantoan - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

NOTE

[1] The company is a globally operating entity, formed from Canadian Teekay LNG Partners and now controlled by US private equity firm Stonepeak.




For the data visualization of 2025 shipbreaking records, click here. *

For the full Excel dataset of all ships dismantled worldwide in 2025, click here. *

 

* The data gathered by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform is sourced from different outlets and stakeholders, and is cross-checked whenever possible. The data upon which this information is based is correct to the best of the Platform’s knowledge, and the Platform takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided. The Platform will correct or complete data if any inaccuracy is signaled. All data which has been provided is publicly available and does not reveal any confidential business information.

 

Press Release – From refurbishment promise to scrapping threat: the Moby Drea controversy

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The Italian-flagged ferry MOBY DREA, which left Genoa in July after its owner assured Italian authorities it would be refurbished in Croatia and returned to service, is now mired in controversy. Following protests by Croatian civil society organisations, the heavily asbestos-contaminated vessel is again on the market for dismantling.

 

Public outrage in Split has been building for weeks, with the civic initiative “Zdravi Split” leading protests to demand that the ship leaves Croatia, as it was feared the removal of 400 tonnes of asbestos would be conducted locally at the Brodosplit yard, exposing workers and residents to unjustifiable risks. In response, Croatia’s Ministry of Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure ordered the vessel to leave within seven days, but later extended the deadline by fifteen. Now, it is reported that the ship is finally scheduled to depart today.

 

Open letters to the government stress that asbestos removal constitutes ship recycling, which is strictly regulated under EU law (Regulation 1257/2013) and the Basel Convention. The Brodosplit yard is not licensed for conducting scrapping operations, the ship should thus never have been allowed to enter Croatia in the first place.

 

Two official Inventories of Hazardous Materials dated 10 September 2024 and 20 January 2025 further eroded trust; the first having declared the presence of 64.30 tonnes of asbestos onboard, while the second estimating nearly 400 tonnes. This huge discrepancy raises serious concerns about oversight and transparency, and adds to the sense that the MOBY DREA case has been mishandled from the outset.

"The MOBY DREA carries an enormous asbestos load, and it must not end up in a facility that cannot manage it safely."
Benedetta Mantoan - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The Platform warns that Turkey, a likely destination for scrapping, cannot be considered a responsible option. Turkish ship recycling yards have repeatedly been criticised for unsafe practices, particularly in the handling and disposal of toxics such as asbestos. Sending a vessel with nearly 400 tonnes of asbestos to such facilities would endanger the health of workers and surrounding communities. 

"The ship owner and Italian authorities, as the flag state, now have a responsibility to ensure the vessel leaves Croatia without delay and is recycled at a certified European facility capable of managing its hazardous materials in full compliance with the law."
Benedetta Mantoan - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Platform News – EU must take action to end dumping of toxic ships and support capacity building

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The European Commission published its evaluation of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) earlier this month. The evaluation clearly identifies several issues that hinder the effectiveness of the EU SRR, including circumvention of the regulation through out-flagging and a lack of detailed EU standards for hazardous waste management and environmental monitoring. Yet, the Commission does not consider a swift revision of the EU SRR an adequate response.

"As identified in the evaluation, the EU SRR has not delivered the expected outcomes in terms of increasing the market share for sustainable ship recycling [1]. With no immediate plans for a review of the EU SRR, we urge the Commission to effectively adopt alternative measures that will boost capacity for sustainable ship recycling and prevent European shipping companies from dumping their toxic ships on beaches in South Asia."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The evaluation also announces an upcoming report on the feasibility of introducing a return scheme for ships trading in the EU to incentivise the use of EU-approved ship recycling facilities. Additionally, it aims to clarify the application of corrective and punitive actions in cases where deficiencies are identified during ship recycling facility inspections and highlights unannounced inspections as an essential tool for ensuring the effectiveness of the EU SRR.

 

To prevent the loss of skills in both the maritime and circular economy sectors and to boost capacity for handling the increasing number of vessels expected to reach end-of-life in the coming years, the EU’s approach to ship recycling must uphold the Polluter Pays principle and contribute to the general policy objectives of the European Green Deal, including optimised material recovery and zero-emission industrial activities. When formulating targets and policy measures under the Circular Economy Act, the Steel and Metals Action Plan, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and the new Clean Industrial Deal, ship recycling must be recognised as a key contributor to the decarbonisation of the European steel sector.

 

Furthermore, the evaluation finds that the standards set by the EU SRR and their implementation are not sufficiently aligned with EU safety and environmental acquis [2]. Consequently, the Commission intends to develop clearer criteria for the EU approval of ship recycling facilities. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform recommends incorporating measures to optimise material recovery from ships, particularly steel recycling operations. Clear requirements for environmental, health, and safety monitoring and reporting must also be established to ensure that all yards on the EU List operate fully in line with EU standards.

"Double standards have been identified, and they are unacceptable—if a practice is not allowed in the EU, it should not be approved on the EU List. There is no valid justification for allowing EU-flagged or EU-owned ships to be scrapped outside the EU under conditions that would not be permitted within the EU. Beaching—the scrapping of vessels on intertidal mudflats, as practised in all South Asian yards—is not allowed in the EU, nor does the cold re-rolling of scrap steel comply with EU standards."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

While the shipping industry is pressuring the EU to accept Indian beaching yards onto the EU List, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform warns that such a move would blatantly undermine the EU SRR’s objective of creating a level playing field that benefits yards operating in line with the EU safety and environmental acquis. It would also seriously threaten the future of the EU ship recycling sector and the recent investments made to establish new ship recycling facilities based on industrial platforms that provide full containment.

 

The evaluation rightly recognises that the International Maritime Organization’s Hong Kong Convention sets far weaker standards than the EU SRR. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform supports the EU’s efforts to take international leadership in amending the Hong Kong Convention to align with the EU SRR while ensuring full and effective implementation of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal as it applies to end-of-life ships.

"Efforts at the international level should not prevent the EU from addressing the issues that weaken the effectiveness of the EU SRR. Expanding the regulation’s scope to include beneficial ownership and introducing a financial incentive are both measures that could improve ship recycling regulations globally. The EU has a track record of taking the lead as an early adopter of safety and environmental measures, later championing their global implementation through the International Maritime Organisation. "
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The Polluter Pays principle and Extended Producer Responsibility are fundamental principles of EU environmental policies and must also apply to the shipping sector. By holding EU-based shipping companies accountable—regardless of their vessels’ flags—many more ships would fall under EU regulations, ensuring alignment with broader EU corporate accountability policies. The current opacity of ownership structures in the shipping sector poses several problems, and transparency regarding the European shipping sector’s Beneficial Owners should be ensured, starting with the public disclosure of ownership details for the 21,000 ships classified as EU-owned.

 

NOTES

 

[1] The evaluation report highlights that “shipping companies did not make the shift they were expected to make towards dismantling their ships in facilities on the European List.” It identifies flagging-out from EU registries at end-of-life as a key factor undermining the effectiveness of the regulation. While flags such as Comoros, St Kitts and Nevis, and Palau are alarmingly popular at end-of-life, many EU-owned vessels never sail under an EU flag, or only do so during their early operational years. As the evaluation notes, fewer than 40 vessels are scrapped annually under an EU flag—a figure far lower than the number of ships scrapped each year by EU shipping companies, many of which end up on South Asian beaches.

 

The report further finds that shipping companies swap their EU flags for non-EU flags to access higher prices from yards not included on the EU List. While the shipping sector presents this as a key factor in maintaining global competitiveness, the report shows that the additional revenue gained from substandard shipbreaking yards represents only 0.0020% to 0.0050% of some shipping companies' annual revenues—demonstrating that the industry can afford to manage its end-of-life fleet at facilities that meet EU standards.

 

[2] Some EU-approved yards in Turkey have been found lacking essential environmental safeguards, such as oil-water separators and functional wastewater collection systems, leading to direct environmental discharge. These deficiencies contrast sharply with wastewater management requirements for yards in EU/EFTA countries. Moreover, facilities operating in Aliaga have not undergone an Environmental Impact Assessment or obtained an environmental licence in accordance with Turkish regulations. These are serious concerns that do not align with EU standards for the safe and environmentally sound management of hazardous waste.

The Toxic Tide – 2025 Shipbreaking Records

Posted on by admin_ec

THE TOXIC TIDE

The shipping industry continues to exploit workers and the environment for profit

 

According to new data released today by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, 321 vessels were dismantled globally in 2025, of which 214 ended up in South Asia. Bangladesh and India remain the shipping industry’s first choices for scrapping, despite the documented grave consequences beaching ships has on workers, local communities and fragile coastal ecosystems.

 

Eleven workers lost their lives in South Asia in 2025, with at least another sixty-two workers injured due to unsafe working practices.

 

 

 

"We have been witnessing this environmental and human rights scandal for too long. All ship owners are aware of the dire situation at the beaching yards and the lack of capacity to safely handle the many toxic materials onboard vessels. Yet, with the help of scrap dealers, the vast majority choose to scrap their end-of-life fleet in South Asia as that is where they can make the highest profits."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

 

Explore our Data Visualisation and read our Press Release.

 

 

Ship recycling in Aliağa under the spotlight

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

SHIP RECYCLING IN ALIAGA UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has published its report Ship Recycling in Turkey: Challenges and Future Direction. While the publication provides a comprehensive analysis of the current challenges faced by the ship recycling sector in Aliağa, it also underscores the immense potential for driving forward sustainable ship recycling practices and demonstrates a clear path towards achieving this goal.

 

Turkey stands at a crossroads as the recent announcement of plot sales in October 2023 and the upcoming expiration of public land leases in 2026 create an opening to bring needed change to its ship recycling industry.

 

Some of the key operational priorities highlighted in the report include putting in place effective drainage channels and the use of oil-water separators for waste water treatment. Additionally, there is a need for third-party verification of hazardous materials during dismantling, proper operations for hazardous waste removal, and the establishment of standards for secure pulling and lifting equipment, along with introduction of proper gas-free operations and cold-cutting techniques.

 

To ensure adequate oversight of the sector, a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is necessary. This assessment should define environmental licensing processes and enforce existing legal instruments for permitting and monitoring, taking into consideration both safety and environmental aspects. It is also important to continuously monitor the environment in and around ship recycling yards to identify sources of pollution and develop effective remediation strategies. Furthermore, occupational health monitoring is required to identify the underlying causes of accidents and work-related illnesses.

 

Whilst two yards in Aliağa were removed from the EU list of approved ship recycling facilities last year, other non-compliant yards have been allowed to remain listed. As stressed in the report, the lack of governance that allows yards to operate without EIAs or adequate monitoring underscores the necessity for more frequent and unannounced EU inspections, including cross-referencing hazardous waste records and incorporating workers’ perspectives and experience to inform evaluations.

 

Recognising the pivotal role of the European Union (EU) in driving improvements, the report also recommends strengthening the criteria for ship recycling, including waste management and steel recovery operations, under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.

 

 

Press Release – Platform publishes list of ships dismantled worldwide in 2024

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform publishes its 2024 annual list of ships dismantled worldwide. The data reveals that 80% of the global tonnage scrapped last year was broken under substandard conditions on the beaches of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

 

409 ships were dismantled globally in 2024, of which 255 ended up in South Asian yards. Bangladesh remains the shipping industry’s first choice for scrapping, despite grave consequences for workers, local communities and fragile coastal ecosystems. Nine workers lost their lives dismantling ships in South Asia in 2024, with another 45 workers injured due to unsafe working practices.

 

SN Corporation - which operates a yard on the beach of Chattogram, Bangladesh - saw one of last year’s worst accidents. While dismantling an oil tanker, a massive explosion claimed the lives of six workers and left six others with critical injuries. Investigations revealed severe negligence and disregard for safety protocols, as well as inadequate hazardous waste management. SN Corporation, which boasts holding a so-called Statement of Compliance with the Hong Kong Convention from Japanese classification society ClassNK, has lost its environmental clearance in Bangladesh as a result of the investigations.

"That a facility such as SN Corporation – and the more than 100 beaching yards that have similarly obtained Statements of Compliance – supposedly fulfils the requirements of the Hong Kong Convention says much about the low standards set by the IMO. And while the IMO also ignores everything that happens outside the facility gate – including whether or not there is adequate medical emergency response, and capacity to handle all toxic waste streams in a safe and environmentally sound manner – now, even yards that are not licensed to operate nationally maintain their Statement of Compliance. Clearly, the upcoming entry into force of the Hong Kong Convention does not provide the solutions needed to shift the sector towards sustainable ship recycling."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

DUMPERS 2024 – Worst practices

 

As in 2023, China tops the 2024 Dumpers List with more than fifty Chinese vessels sold to South Asian shipbreakers, mainly in Bangladesh. This comes despite China’s ban on the import of waste and the country’s own capacity to recycle ships in dry-dock facilities. Indeed, beaching is forbidden in China.

 

More than a dozen vessels were also beached by shipping companies headquartered in Russia, Switzerland, the Philippines, and South Korea. The Platform recently alerted South Korean authorities of the illegal export of the vessel HL PYEONGTAEK (IMO 9061928), sold to cash buyer Best Oasis and now en route to South Asia for scrapping. In 2024 no less than 13 vessels were exported from South Korea to India and Bangladesh. International law is, however, clear: all transboundary movements of hazardous waste, including end-of-life ships, need to obtain Prior Informed Consent (PIC) in line with the Basel Convention, and exports of end-of-life ships from OECD to non-OECD countries are banned. An export in breach of the Basel Convention is a serious environmental crime as witnessed by cases brought to European Courts, including now in Germanyand in Norway where Altera Infrastructure was fined for the illegal export of several vessels for scrapping in India.

 

For the second year in a row, Swiss containership giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) receives the notorious title of Worst Corporate Dumper, with 16 of its ships beached in India in 2024. Ignoring repeated calls from the Platform to adopt a sustainable recycling policy, MSC is the one single owner responsible for having exported the highest number of toxic end of life ships to South Asia, with more than 100 ships beached since 2009.

 

Other well-known companies — including Norwegian Green Reefers, Philippine Span Asia Carrier and South Korean Sinokor — have contributed to the shipping industry’s toxic footprint, selling their end-of-life vessels for scrapping at some of the world’s most hazardous yards in 2024. Notably, also Lila Global, acting as the ship-owning arm of cash buyer GMS, sent its vessels to the worst yards in Bangladesh and Pakistan — further exposing the hypocrisy behind its sustainability claims and greenwashing services.

 

Last year, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) adopted new decommissioning guidelines urging its members to avoid beaching and intermediaries such as cash buyers. While companies like Petrobras, SBM, and Shell already enforce no-beaching policies, offshore firms Perenco and BW Offshore respectively sold an FSO and an FPSO to beaching yards in Bangladesh and India. In 2022, the Platform reported a fatal accident at India’s Priya Blue shipbreaking yard during the dismantling of another BW Offshore asset.

 

 

As parts of the shipping industry are keen to see beaching yards rubber-stamped by the weak Hong Kong Convention that will enter into force in June this year, the European Union is still to reveal proposals for strengthening its EU Ship Recycling Regulation. Unannounced inspections by the European Commission of EU approved facilities in Turkiye have uncovered discrepancies between paper plans and actual practice, leading to several yards being removed from the EU list. High levels of pollution in the Aliaga region has now also pushed legal action by Turkish civil society organisations demanding that the sector undergoes a proper Environmental Impact Assessment. Similarly, in Canada, the residents of Union Bay remain engaged in a prolonged struggle against unregulated shipbreaking activities and insufficient regulatory measures.

"The Basel Convention recommended the phasing out of the beaching method 20 years ago and calls for full containment of pollutants and their environmentally sound management all the way to disposal. It also regulates, even bans in some cases, the international trade of hazardous wastes with an eye to protecting vulnerable communities and environments. We strongly encourage enforcement authorities globally to take actions that will effectively hold the shipping sector liable for committing serious environmental crimes, and call on policy makers to safeguard the environmental justice principles that are at the heart of the Basel Convention."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Looking ahead, policies aimed at enhancing circularity, increasing demand for scrap steel, and technological advancements will undoubtedly lead to the development of safer and cleaner ship recycling options. At the Platform’s 2nd Ship Recycling Lab, industry frontrunners showcased that viable and scalable alternatives to beaching already exist.

Read more about the pioneers of green ship recycling in our Breaking Out magazine.

 

 

For the data visualization of 2024 shipbreaking records, click here. *

For the full Excel dataset of all ships dismantled worldwide in 2024, click here. *

 

* The data gathered by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform is sourced from different outlets and stakeholders, and is cross-checked whenever possible. The data upon which this information is based is correct to the best of the Platform’s knowledge, and the Platform takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided. The Platform will correct or complete data if any inaccuracy is signaled. All data which has been provided is publicly available and does not reveal any confidential business information.

 

Platform News – Turkish Civil Society Organisations take legal action to ensure Environmental Impact Assessment of the ship recycling sector in Aliağa

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

On 10 January 2024 a coalition of organisations, including Aegean Environment and Culture Platform (EGEÇEP), İzmir Bar Association, TMMOB Chamber of Architects, İzmir Medical Chamber, and eight concerned citizens, filed a lawsuit against Turkiye's Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation, and Climate Change. The legal action challenges the current exemption from the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the 22 ship recycling facilities operating in Aliağa. 

 

At the press conference held at the TMMOB Chamber of Architects Izmir Branch on 20 January, lawyer Arif Ali Cangı said on behalf of the Izmir Ship Dismantling Coordination Group “Since the sector started operating in Aliağa in the 1980s, companies have undergone many operational changes, the capacities of the facilities have increased and many different companies have been transferred. However, the facilities have been exempted from the EIA process. The ship breaking sector is one of the main pollution sources of the region and we are concerned that the carrying capacity of the region has long been exceeded.”

 

 

© Emirhan Durmaz / Evrensel

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform highlighted in a recent report problems related to poor law enforcement and monitoring of the ship recycling sector in Aliağa. Scientific studies, including a 2019 report by Turkey’s Ministry of Environment and a 2022 research by TÜBİTAK and Ege University, have determinedly established that the ship recycling sector is a major source of pollution in the Aliağa region. High levels of heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and other toxic substances have been detected in soil and water. Alarmingly, arsenic and lead levels have surpassed limits recommended by WHO and FAO, with water quality in the area rated as poor. 

 

European Union inspection reports also reveal consistent pollution levels far exceeding acceptable thresholds. Two recycling yards in Aliağa, Şimşekler and Işıksan, were removed from the EU's list of approved ship recycling facilities in December 2022 due to their failure to meet minimum environmental and safety standards. Another yard, Egeçelik, is now also under consideration for removal in the EU's upcoming 14th edition of the list. 

 

The environmental and health impacts of the shipbreaking sector in Aliağa need to be properly understood and evaluated for effective mitigation measures to be identified. Measuring the environmental impact of the ship recycling industry furthermore requires an approach that understands the sector as a cluster, and imposes, as a result, upon all yards the implementation of equal measures to curb and contain pollution. 

"An Environmental Impact Assessment is a vital first step towards improving accountability and sustainability in the sector. Today, far too many yards simply blame the “neighbouring yard” for high pollution levels detected. It must be the role of Turkish authorities to evaluate the sector holistically with the aim of halting further accumulation of pollutants that pose serious risk to the environment and local communities."
Ekin Sakin - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Similarly, the EU must ensure that facilities approved on the EU List are actually able to conduct meaningful environmental monitoring. The challenges faced by the Turkish ship recycling sector in this regard are even more acute when evaluating the environmental performance of shipbreaking yards operating on tidal mudflats, as is the case in South Asia. There, blaming neighbouring yards or historical pollution when alarming levels of heavy metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons are detected is also common. In addition, daily tidal flows may in uncontrolled manners disperse toxic discharges – purposefully or not – and thus render their detection difficult to capture. 

 

Setting up a hazardous waste management facility on a tidal mudflat would never receive environmental clearance in the EU. It is also very likely that a proper Environmental Impact Assessment of the ship recycling sector in Turkiye will bring to light that safer and more environmentally sound techniques are needed for the safeguard of public health, local communities and the environment.

 

Platform News – Authorities and industry discuss ship recycling in Turkey at NGO Shipbreaking Platform and IMPEL workshop

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

Following the publication of a report on the Turkish ship recycling sector in Aliağa, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform and the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) organised a workshop in  Ankara, Turkey,  on 10 December aimed at sharing knowledge and enhancing collaboration on ship recycling.

 

The workshop  brought together representatives from the European Commission, IMPEL, DNVGL, industry and civil society representatives, as well as Turkish Ministries responsible for the ship recycling sector, including the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change; the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure; and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

 

Several presentations gave the participants insights on how the ship recycling sector is regulated at national and EU level. Çağdaş Güneş from the Izmir Development Agency kick-started the discussions by presenting their analyses and possible future outlook for the sector. Okan Çetinkaya of the Ministry of Labour and Giray Işıyel from the İzmir Governorship Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization shared how their respective Ministries manage licensing and monitoring. Christelle Rousseau from the European Commission shared the updates on the EU Ship Recycling Regulation and procedures for approval on the EU List. Insights from inspections of ship recycling facilities in Aliağa were shared by Tone Knudsen-Fiskeseth of DNVGL.

© NGO Shipbreaking Platform

IMPEL representatives shared best practices in ship recycling, with the contributions from Huib van Westen of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Netherlands and Beate Langset of Norway’s Environment Directorate. Evren Samur of HKTM introduced the SHEREC project on robotics and AI for ship recycling, followed by Ekin Sakin from the NGO Shipbreaking Platform who presented findings from the report Ship Recycling in Turkey: Challenges and Future Directions.

 

The workshop provided an opportunity for stakeholders to exchange ideas, including on ways to close existing legal gaps and improve information exchange. As a result of the discussions, participants emphasised the need for further cooperation and more effective sharing of data to enhance transparency and help identify possible ways forward for upgrading the ship recycling sector.

Press Release – Ship Recycling Lab’s 2nd Edition: when ethical leadership and cutting edge technology meet, sustainable ship recycling is on the horizon!

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

Over 100 participants from across the globe, including recyclers, ship owners, policymakers, researchers, and environmental advocates, met in Lisbon on 9-10 October for the NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s second edition of the Ship Recycling Lab. With a sharp focus on environmental responsibility and cutting-edge technologies, the event showcased  companies that already are sustainably recycling vessels, as well as ongoing research and policy commitments aimed at further scaling and improving practices. 

 

From Brazil to the Middle East, new strategies are pushing for safe and clean ship recycling. Elegant Exit Company shared experiences recycling their first ship in a dry-dock in Bahrain, while Petrobras introduced its new "off the beach" policy and pilot projects designed to boost Brazil’s domestic capacity. In Europe - and on home-turf at the Lab - Lisnave shared that they intend to add recycling to their repair and maintenance activities at their Setubal yard. 

 

Participants at the Lab expressed keen interest to look at what the sector can offer in terms of meeting circular economy and climate objectives. Possibilities for a thriving ship recycling hub in Northern Germany driven by a demand for scrap steel were explored, and going forward, EuRIC, the European Recycling Industries' Confederation, announced at the Lab the establishment of a new working group. They will undoubtedly play an important role in raising the issue at the European level and have already identified the need to embed stricter safety and environmental benchmarks into the upcoming revision of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation to ensure a fair level playing field. 

 

 

The Lab also spotlighted the latest technological advancements, including plasma and water cutting technologies as alternatives to gas cutting, and RFID tracking and blockchain as tools for improving the management of Inventories of Hazardous Materials. AF Offshore Decom captured the attention with their groundbreaking work on upcycling decommissioned assets by generating certified second-hand steel with 95% lower CO2 emissions for the construction sector. Several projects, including SHEREC, Circles of Life, ReCab, and ShipRec, shared ongoing R&D looking at novelties in circular economy principles, including material passports, and AI integration. 

 

Unveiling their new guideline on FSO and FPSO decommissioning, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) was another stakeholder at the Lab setting a new benchmark for industrial sustainability. Their guideline bans the use of substandard scrapping methods, including beaching, and prohibits dealings with cash buyers — a practice long criticised for fuelling unsafe and unregulated shipbreaking. 

 

Addressing how to foster industrial practices that do not compromise on protecting fragile coastal ecosystems and ocean health, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank, provided insights on how blue bonds could potentially unlock finance, marking a clear step towards integrating ship recycling into global sustainable finance frameworks. Increased traceability on scrap steel, quality and supply chain were furthermore identified as key to add value and also assist the steel sector in its transition towards meeting industrial decarbonisation targets.

"The 2nd Ship Recycling Lab aimed at paving the way for future innovations and policy reforms, so when participants left with a renewed commitment to sustainable practices and a shared ambition to drive global change, I think we succeeded! Collaboration is key to transforming the industry — only through strong partnerships between governments, industry leaders, financiers, research institutions, workers and civil society can we advance clean, safe and just ship recycling globally. We are already looking forward to the 3rd Edition of the Ship Recycling Lab! "
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Breaking Out News Series – Unlocking Brazil’s potential in ship recycling

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

We are excited to launch our Breaking Out News Series, in anticipation of the second edition of our Ship Recycling Lab in Lisbon this October. Highlighting innovators who believe in competitive, responsible practices, we challenge damaging methods of ship dismantling on tidal beaches and advocate for safer, cleaner and smarter alternatives.

 

Our first post focuses on why Brazil is poised to become a significant player in the global ship recycling market. With its extensive coastline and robust maritime industry, many existing facilities, primarily engaged in shipbuilding and repair, have the potential to expand into recycling.

 

Professor Newton Pereira of Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) tells us that Brazil is likely to become an important destination for ship owners looking for the sustainable disposal of their assets. From already existing large infrastructure in the States of Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Pernambuco to strict national regulations on hazardous waste management, from a soon to be approved national bill mirroring the European Union Ship Recycling Regulation to the shift in policy of the countries oil and gas company Petrobras and the scrapping of Petrobras’ P-32 and P-33 in Brazil, the country stands on the cusp of radical transformation.

 

UFF plays a is crucial role in this transformation through its Center for Sustainable Systems Studies (CESS/UFF), which focuses on hazardous waste management, optimisation of recycling methods and the scrap steel market to ensure Brazil has a qualified workforce, innovation and resources needed to support its own solutions for ship recycling.

"At CESS, we are developing RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and NFC (Near Field Communication) technologies to manage hazardous waste on ships and in shipyards. Our goal is to ensure transparency and traceability in materials disposal. Specifically, we are exploring ways to automate the management of IHMs (Inventory of Hazardous Materials) on merchant vessels, offshore platforms, and abandoned ships scheduled for decommissioning, dismantling, and recycling. We are currently testing smart labels placed throughout vessels, which can be read remotely within seconds using unmanned vehicles. Additionally, we are working on a project looking at ways to destroy the hazardous characteristics of for example asbestos and glass wool by transforming them into marketable products such as glass."
Newton Pereira - Professor - Universidade Federal Fluminense
Prof. Newton Pereira with his team - © UFF

According to recent figures, dozens of fixed and floating oil and gas platforms and more than 300 large commercial ships regularly operating in Brazilian waters will be retired in the next decade. Brazil’s potential in ship recycling will be further explored by several experts, including Petrobras’ representatives and Professor Pereira, at the upcoming Ship Recycling Lab in Lisbon.

"The Lab is the perfect opportunity to discuss and present alternatives to dirty and dangerous shipbreaking. The concept of an ethical circular economy, which is the connecting thread of the event, represents the cornerstone for a cleaner industry aligned with the sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations. I am looking forward to highlighting Brazil's initiatives and capabilities in this forum and potentially forge new collaborations."
Newton Pereira - Professor - Universidade Federal Fluminense