SHIP DEMOLITION

Après l’affaire du porte-avions Clemenceau, Robin des Bois a voulu y voir clair dans le monde de la démolition et du recyclage des vieux navires de commerce et militaires en fin de vie. A cet effet, un bulletin trimestriel d’information et d’analyses a été mis en chantier et lancé en 2006. Chaque numéro de « A la casse », « Shipbreaking » en version anglaise, est un tour du monde des meilleures techniques disponibles et beaucoup plus nombreuses des pires techniques disponibles. Un gros succès éditorial épluché par les spécialistes du monde entier.

Shipbreaking #48. 284 ships scrapped including 81 blown-up and dumped at sea

31 Jul 2017

Bangladesh has the most deficient ratio – 42 ships – 3 deaths.
Indonesia has the best productivity. 81 illegal fishing boats were demolished in 15 seconds.

Palau is the trendy funeral flag this quarter. 11 ships were deflagged to Palau just prior to be sent for scrapping. 17 of the 45 ships deflagged for their last voyage belonged to European shipowners.

The purchase price offered by shipbreaking yards in the second quarter of 2017 is around 350 US$ per ton in the Indian Sub-continent and around 250 US$ in China and in Turkey. The cumulated tonnage of scrapped ships is 1.6 million tons. The tanker Catherine Knudsen built in 1992 in Nagasaki, Norwegian-owned and Norwegian-flagged, was sold for more than 8 million US$. She was deflagged to Palau for her last voyage.

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Europe exports radioactive waste to Bangladesh

16 Jun 2017

Europe exports radioactive waste to Bangladesh

236 meters long. The North Sea Producer, prized possession of Maersk, the number one ship owner in the world, has served the petroleum industry in the North Sea well for 18 years.
This former tanker was launched in 1984 in Denmark under the name Dagmar Maersk and was converted 12 years later into a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO). It was stationed in the Mc Chulloch oil field north of Aberdeen. The North Sea Producer retired in 2015 on the banks of the Tees next to the shipbreaking site of Able UK in Hartlepool where the former French aircraft carrier Clemenceau was demolished, and from there left Europe under tow. Maersk chose Bangladesh for the end of its life. In the last 9 years, 161 workers have been killed on the beaches of Chittagong. Maersk was not impeded by these facts. What really counts is selling at the best price. The scrappers of Bangladesh offered more than $6 million US for the North Sea Producer.

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(Français) Démolition du Rio Tagus: courrier aux autorités

1 Jun 2017

Only in French.

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« Shipbreaking » # 47. The clear mirror of globalization

5 May 2017

« Shipbreaking » # 47. The clear mirror of globalization

From January 1 to March 31, 2017, 225 ships out 240 were being demolished in India, in Bangladesh, in Pakistan, in China and in Turkey. 44 left for Asia for their last voyage under flags of financial or diplomatic convenience such as St. Kitts and Nevis, Palau, Togo, Niue or Mongolia. 76 ships had been built in Europe with European steel and Russian or Canadian asbestos. Only 5 ships are being broken up in European facilities.

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The International Shipbreaking Show

31 Jan 2017

The International Shipbreaking Show

“Shipbreaking” n°46, bulletin of information and analysis on ship demolition
from October 1 to December 31, 2016

⇒ On December 19, 2016, the European Union published its first list of approved ship recycling facilities.

– Germany keeps its hands clean. In the North Sea or the Baltic Sea, it does not offer any scrapping site for its fishing fleet, Navy vessels and container ships. It exports the sea waste to Turkey, India, Bangladesh and a bit in the Baltic States.

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(Français) Série noire et marées noires

6 Jan 2017

Only in French.

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Shipbreaking 2016 Overview: Death is prowling in the shipscrapping yards, Europe exports more and more, Bangladesh and India are side by side, container ships are quickly finished off

4 Jan 2017

Shipbreaking 2016 Overview: Death is prowling in the shipscrapping yards, Europe exports more and more, Bangladesh and India are side by side, container ships are quickly finished off

Update, January 10, 2017

Death is prowling in the shipscrapping yards

2016 has been branded with November 1st drama at Gadani, Pakistan, when the explosion of the FPSO (Floating Production Storage and offloading) tanker Aces ex-Federal 1 caused 28 losses of life, 4 missing and tens of badly wounded and burnt. The ex ship was at the time holding several thousands tons of residual bunker oil and a number of gas cylinders. Families in mourning will receive each 1.5 million rupees, i.e. 14, 000 US$.

Anywhere else, fires aboard during scrapping are spilling toxic fumes in the atmosphere while losses of life by falls of metal pieces, electric shocks, explosions and gas inhalations are common.

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Maersk keeps on getting rid of its garbage off Brittany

22 Dec 2016

Maersk keeps on getting rid of its garbage off Brittany

After having abandoned 517 containers fallen overboard the Svendborg Maersk on February 14, 2014 off Brest, the Danish shipping company Maersk is reoffending today with the wrecks of the Maersk Searcher and Maersk Shipper while they were sailing in a convoy from Denmark towards the demolition yards of Aliaga, Turkey. The 2 offshore supply tugs were towed by the Maersk Battler which was, according to informations collected by Robin des Bois, also doomed to be demolished in Turkey.

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(Français) Non à l’expulsion du Rio Tagus

16 Dec 2016

(Français) Non à l’expulsion du Rio Tagus

Only in French.

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“Shipbreaking” #45, July 1 – September 30, 2016

3 Nov 2016

“Shipbreaking” #45, July 1 – September 30, 2016

“Shipbreaking” #45
Bulletin of information and analysis on ship demolition
from July 1 to September 30, 2016

– Update on ship demolition in Europe.
– The historical destinations.
– A supply vessel involved in the fight against the Olympic Bravery oil spill has left to be broken up.
– The hasty scrapping of container ships.
– Update on the Modern Express.
– Update on the disaster on Gadani ship dismantling beach (Pakistan).

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