Monday, Jan 02, 2006
By Frank Kennedy, Special to Gulf News
Ship recycling can contribute to sustainable development, but this can only be achieved by reducing the environmental, safety and occupational health risks related to the process, said a joint group on ship scrapping recently.
The group, established by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, concluded its second meeting on December 15 at the UN headquarters in Geneva.
The objective of the group is to draft a legally binding instrument on safe and environmentally sound ship recycling and this has been subsequently enhanced by an IMO resolution to this effect.
The legally binding instrument will provide global regulations on the design, construction, operation and preparation of ships, so as to facilitate safe and environmentally sound recycling. It will also encompass the operation of environmentally sound ship recycling and the establishment of an appropriate enforcement mechanism for ship recycling.
The three organisations are convinced that by addressing risks associated with ship recycling, the long-term sustainability of this industry will be assured and its contribution to sustainable development can be enhanced.
As the IMO resolution notes, the joint working group can make recommendations for consideration in the development of the new instrument. In this light, first substantive discussions took place on issues of direct relevance to the three organisations. These are:
It is also expected that an International Ship Recycling Fund will be established in the near future, parallel to the development of the new recycling instrument.
IRISL fleet
According to Trade Winds, the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) is planning to add at least 10 handymax bulk carriers to its fleet in the near future. The report says the company is anxious to sign a firm order for six vessels and four option vessels of between 53,000 and 55,000 deadweight tonnes (dwt) and tenders from Chinese, Croatian, Korean and Polish yards are expected soon.
The IRISL chairman and managing director Mohammad Hoseyn Dajmar told the maritime newspaper that the company wants to expand its fleet size from 3.8 million dwt to 5.5 million dwt by 2010 and he is currently focusing on strengthening the company's bulk and general cargo fleets. Dajmar expects future orders to centre on the carrier's heavy lift and multi-purpose vessels before turning his attention to containerships.
New LNG charters
Petronas subsidiary MISC Berhad has secured two long-term charters with Yemen LNG Company (YLNG) for transportation of LNG from Yemen to the US and Mexico, according to a report on www.theedgedaily.com.
Under the charter party agreement, MISC will provide two 157,000 cubic metre LNG carriers to YLNG to carry LNG from Balhaf in Yemen to Total Gas & Power Ltd facilities at Sabine Pass, Louisiana, and Altamira in Mexico.
The duration of the charter parties is 20 years each with the option to extend for one plus five, plus five years, MISC said in a statement. The LNG carriers under construction in Japan now were scheduled to be delivered in the first quarter of 2009 and start operations between April and September the same year.
Sharjah event
Trade Arabia has reported that more than 180 leading marine companies from 28 countries will participate in the fourth edition of Gulf Maritime that is to be held at the Expo Centre Sharjah from April 24-26.
Gulf Maritime 2006 will showcase the latest vessel building designs and technology, equipment for fishing, offshore support vessels, cargo ships, tankers, tugs, ferries, patrol boats, all types of ship repair and port operations products, and cargo handling services.
- The writer is a Dubai-based marine consultant.
Gulf News 2006. All rights reserved.
