SHIP DEMOLITION

Container ships on the rise

With 1119 ships broken up this year, 2013 confirms the good health of the ship-breaking industry. The rhythm appeared to have noticeably slowed down compared to an outstanding year 2012 – decrease of 16% in number of ships demolished and 20% in tonnage of metal recycled – but 2013 is still by far the 2nd best year for the industry since 2006, start-up of the Ship-breaking bulletin (293 ships). The total tonnage of metal recycled in 2013 exceeds 9 millions. The volume of waste produced by the demolition of ships amounts to around 500.000 t.

N°1

The Russian tuna seiner Marginella has been immobilized at Cherbourg since July 2007. After leaving Kaliningrad (Russia), she was heading towards South Africa via Ghana to fish bluefin and tropical tuna, under dubious conditions in regard with the conformity to the regulations of ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas). She suffered outbreaks of fire in the machinery space in the North Sea and the English Channel, resulting in a total propulsion failure. She had to be towed to port by Abeille Liberté.

with Victor Hugo’s Wave and ships crippled by the tsunami,

with the risky traffic of river barges from Northern Europe to Nigeria,

with the return to the stage of the conductor with the delivery to India of the ex-aircraft carrier Clemenceau,

with China taking the ship-breakers’ lead,

with the end of two Russian vessels specialized in wood and nuclear cargoes,

with Japanese sail and diesel-powered ships leaving for demolition anonymously

and with the portraits and profiles of 271 vessels broken up from August 1st to October 31^st

Only in French.

Press Release #6

Tomorrow, at any point during the hours-long raising of the wreckage, the cruise ship containing 50,000 tons of scrap, waste, and polluted water could split open like an old, cracked bathtub. While the Costa Concordia is now in a relatively confined area, tomorrow this dump could be spread out over the Island of Giglio, and the Mediterranean sea. The only reassuring thing is that the wreck has been drained of its propulsion fuel. For the past 19 months, the hull of the Costa Concordia has been subject to the corrosion caused by waves and offshore currents. Therefore, there is a pressing risk of pollutant dispersal.

Despite rumors praising safety in the shipbreaking yards of Turkey, work conditions there are still bad. Two workers intoxicated in the machine rooms of the ex-Pacific Princess have just payed for those conditions with their lifes.

The ex-Love Boat from the television series of the same name was sold to a turkish demolition yard in april 2012 for the price of $260 per ton. The Pacific Princess was evaluated at 8.000 tons. The buyer took over a year to finish paying. The ex-Pacific Princess left the Genoa Harbor on July 27th 2013 towed by the Izmir Bull under the name Acif. It had arrived in Genoa in november 2008 for renovation and technical compliance, but such work was soon abandoned. Built in 1971, the ship holds large quantities of asbestos ans PCBs. Its last known owner is the Quail Cruises Ship Management based in Madrid.

The 32nd bulletin of information and analysis on Ship-breaking is published (75 pages). It covers the month of May, June and July 2013. In 8 years, the ship-breaking bulletin has become a reference in this field across the globe. Information and photographs are sent to Robin des Bois by regular or occasional correspondents.

Over the last three months, 271 ships have been sent to demolition. They total over 2.2 million tonnes of metal. 106 (39%) were built in Europe, 88 (32%) belonged to European owners, 241 (89%) were sent to Asia.

Bulletin of information and analysis on ship demolition

Europe is sending illegally more and more vessels to be broken up in Asia. She is not the only one doing this way.

In this edition :

– Overview January 1 to April 30, 2013

– MSC Flaminia

– Baco-Liner

– Marseille, the waiting room for scrapping in Asia

– The scandalous export of the Lyubov Orlova

– Welcome to Chennai Port, the Nightmare before Scrapping

– Letters to the Editor

– France Telecom cable layer Chamarel

The Atlantic Star remained disused in Marseille for more than 2 years. Construction of the Atlantic Star at La Seyne-sur-Mer in 1984 had mobilized, as in all cruise ships, significant amounts of asbestos.

The ship belonged to the Spanish shipowner Pullmantur, a subsidiary of the American company Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Her operation became prohibitive; replacing her steam turbines with a diesel propulsion was impossible. The Atlantic Star, still in the hands of Spanish interests, remained under the European flag of Malta until March 1, 2013.

In 2013, when the former Atlantic Star, renamed Antic, leaves Marseille for demolition at Alang without asbestos removal, silence reigns.

In 2006, when the former Clemenceau, renamed hull Q790, went to Alang for demolition after a partial asbestos removal in France, a politically correct, unanimous roar rang out.

The Atlantic Star is a 240m-long ship built in 1984 in the shipyards of La Seyne-sur-Mer in France, an asbestos stronghold. It was abandoned in Marseille in 2010. The Atlantic Star belonged to the Spanish subsidiary of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL).