OEWG-V/8: Environmentally sound management of ship dismantling
Information on short and medium term measures
Submitted by United Kingdom
Introduction
1. It is important that short and medium term measures are introduced if
progress is to be made towards improving global standards in ship recycling,
while the Convention on the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of
Ships is being developed under the International Maritime Organization
(IMO).
2. The UK’s own activities in this area include: development of a national Ship
Recycling Strategy, partial funding of a project to promote the use of the
Basel Guidelines and development of a further project on the economics of
ship recycling. These are described below.
UK Ship Recycling Strategy
3. In 2003, the UK focus on ship recycling matters increased due to the import of
decommissioned US naval vessels by a facility in the Northeast of England
(Able UK). Able UK signed a contract in July 2003 for the recycling of 13
redundant naval vessels from the US National Defence Reserve Fleet. When
4 of these vessels arrived at the Able facility, it transpired that not all the
necessary consents/permissions for their dismantling were in place.
4. Following this, the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Select Committee (the EFRA Committee) undertook an inquiry on
‘Dismantling Defunct Ships in the UK’.
It was in response to the
recommendations resulting from this inquiry that the UK Government
committed to the development of the UK Ship Recycling Strategy.
5. In particular, the EFRA Committee highlighted the need to:
- ensure Government owned vessels are dismantled in accordance with
the principles of environmentally sound management;
- Provide clear guidance to those wishing to recycle ships in the UK,
and;
- Work towards a global regulatory framework.
The UK Strategy seeks to address these issues.
6. There are five key components to the Strategy:
a. Policy on recycling Government-owned vessels
Where Government-owned vessels are either sold for further use to other
Governments or commercial entities, or recycled, the following
commitments will apply:
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the sales contract for a vessel destined for further use will contain
conditions to ensure that the new owner takes full responsibility for the
safe and environmentally sound recycling of the vessel;
recycling will only be allowed at a facility in an OECD country and in
accordance with acceptable environmental, health and safety
standards; and,
vessels exported outside the UK for recycling will be subject to the
Basel Convention principles of prior-informed consent and
environmentally sound management.
b. Recommendations to shipowners
The Strategy clarifies the applicability of EU Waste Shipments Regulation 1
to the export of UK flagged commercial vessels for recycling. In addition,
the Strategy sets out further recommendations for UK shipowners, which
are largely based around the IMO Guidelines on Ship Recycling.
c. A Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment
A partial Regulatory Impact Assessment was undertaken which examines
the economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of the
proposed policies in the Strategy.
d. Guidance on ship recycling in the UK
The guidance provides a summary of the key technical and regulatory
requirements to operate ship recycling facilities in the UK. In addition, a
non-exhaustive list of potential sources of assistance, including funding,
for those wishing to engage in the industry is provided.
e. A study of UK ship recycling capacity
The study, undertaken by an independent consultancy, examined current
and potential ship recycling capacity in the UK.
7. The Strategy has undergone a three month public consultation process
ending in June 2006. A summary of the responses received will be published
in August, with final publication of the Strategy expected in Autumn 2006.
1
The European Waste Shipments Regulation (Council Regulation No. 259/93) implements the
Basel Convention in the EU and covers the supervision and control of shipments of waste within,
into and out of the EU.
Basel project on ship recycling
8. The UK is partially funding a project (managed by the Secretariat of the Basel
Convention) which will promote the use of the Basel Convention guidelines at
facilities in developing countries.
9. The key objectives of the project are:
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to promote the practical implementation of the Basel Convention
Technical Guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management of
the Full and Partial Dismantling of Ships in ship dismantling industries
with a view to improving ship dismantling practices so as to mitigate
the detrimental consequences to human health and the environment;
to improve the accessibility and utility of the Guidelines to members of
the ship dismantling industry, through the dissemination of generic
information and learning materials on the Guidelines;
to promote the environmentally sound management of ship dismantling
in particular countries by undertaking a pilot training project in an
identified ship dismantling country on the effective implementation of
the Guidelines.
UK project on the economics of ship recycling
10. The UK is about to let a contract to undertake a closer examination of the
economics of ship recycling. Objectives are yet to be finalised, but it is likely
that the study will:
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examine the current economics of ship recycling activities and how the
market operates;
establish a current base cost for developing a model ship recycling
facility to standards of environmentally sound management (ESM) for a
variety of ship sizes and conditions;
determine a cost for conversion of the global ship breaking capacity to
ESM standards and determine how investment can be provided to
improve them;
examine the wider interaction between countries’ development aid
programmes, needs for raw materials and employment, and how these
may impact on developing a transition programme for compliance with
the proposed new Ship Recycling Convention.
11. The results of this study will be published in due course to assist
understanding of the issues, means of alleviating the problems and barriers
encountered in implementing existing and new instruments.