SHIP DEMOLITION

The Probo Koala vessel which spread death and panic in Abidjan during the summer of 2006 has just been sold by her last owner to a demolisher in Bangladesh for $ 7.7 million. Currently off the coast of China, she should be beached in Chittagong under the name of Gulf Jash within the next few days. The Greek owner had in fact sold the Probo Koala to Gulf Navigation based in Dubai.

Built in 1989, at Korean Shipbuilding & Engineering shipyards, the Probo Koala was used by the multinational company Trafigura to produce low-grade gasoline from highly sulphurised oil off the coast of Gibraltar and Malta. The toxic residue produced by these onboard refinery operations was unloaded in August 2006 at the Abidjan port. Scattered around the Ivory Coast economic capital, the residue containing hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans caused the death of 17 people and intoxicated over one hundred thousand others, according to the official figures.

The 22nd Ship-breaking.com bulletin of information and analysis on the demolition of ships is available.

Among the key elements: the global statement 2010 of vessels sent to demolition and their destinations, the Italian LPG carrier Azzurra laid up in Peru, piracy and demolition in Somalia, the departure for scrapping of the ferry Senlac built by the Arsenal of Brest, the “scuttling” of the French ship demolition industry by a French parliamentary report, the situation in Bangladesh and the hilarious story of a whaler in the Antarctic launched in 1939 and withdrawn from the seas late 2010.

The quarterly bulletin by Robin des Bois containing information and analysis on the demolition of ships, is about to be published.

– Bangladesh is seasick (p 1).

– Brutal demolition in Africa, ships flying the Togo flag for their last voyage (p 3).

– Turkey scraps old ships in the Mediterranean (p 4).

– A unique (hopefully) barratry brought to light thanks to bulletin #20 of shipbreaking.com (p 5).

– A supply oil ship of the Japanese whaling fleet goes to be dismantled in India (p14).

Only in French.

We have been informed through a correspondent in Asia that the Indian owner Prayati Shipping devoted to buying ships to be demolished has acquired the Ocean Pearl IMO 8226650, presently in a Chinese port. Since June 2010 this general cargo carrier built in 1983 is flying the Saint-Kitts-and-Nevis flag, famous to host ships for their last trip.

The life saving and fire fighting equipments are in a very bad condition, especially both lifeboats. Bridge, crew’s cabin and engine equipments are in a deplorable state. In a sanitary point of view the worst is that water aboard is not drinkable. The internal communication system does not work, electrical wiring is not installed properly. The 22 crew members are not paid. According to Prayati Shipping usual business, they are under a nine months contract.

Fifty six years ago today, the Andrea Doria, the Italian star of the transatlantic cruise liner sunk off the coast of New York taking the lives of 47 passengers.

The 20th delivery of Shipbreaking.com Robin des Bois’s editorial success devoted to the scrapping of vessels is on Robin des Bois’s internet newsstand.

This initiative is entirely funded by Robin des Bois.

-45 pages to find out everything on the subject

-Asbestos in new vessels

-The Aristos II (page 8) tanker from Trafigura’s armada- waste in Ivory Coast- which could have been used instead of the Probo Koala sent to be scrapped… in Bangladesh

-The European Union finances the sinking of 57 polluted wrecks in Mauritania!

The Onyx has finished her last round of liar’s dice. The old Finnish car ferry already renamed in September before her depart from Vaasa has become too notorious under this patronymic. She was renamed “Kaptain Boris” after calling at Port-Rashid (Dubai).

Her new official owner, Red Line Shipping Ltd is hiding in the tax haven of the Marshall Islands. The ex Onyx, was previously flying a Saint-Kitts and Nevis flag which is ranked on the Memorandum of Paris’ black list as a flag of “high risk”. She has gone down a notch again and is now under a Sierra Leona flag which is listed in the Top 5, flags of “very high risk”.

Between January 1st and April 4th 2010, 233 ships were sent to be demolished. The rhythm remains elevated, with 18 ships per week. In number of ships to be demolished as well as tonnage, India, with 120 ships (42%), remains destination number 1 before Bangladesh with 55 (24%), Pakistan with 25 (11%), and China with 23 (9%).  The accumulated demolition will permit the recycling of nearly 2 million tons of metal.

The crisis is over !
The prices offered by the demolition yards have significantly increased and continue to increase in the yards of the Indian subcontinent, but also in China; they have reached $400, even $500 for oil tankers and more for ships containing stainless steel. The record of the trimester was obtained by the Norwegian chemical tanker Spirit, bought for $780 per ton by an Indian yard, a price rarely reached even in 2008.

Only in French.