Corse Exfiltration
Background Note:
The Corse, an old ferry of the SNCM, IMO 8003620, was constructed by the shipyard Dubigeon Normandie in Prairie-au-Duc in 1983.
She has not sailed since 2014 and is no longer being maintained. For Europe, this is a sub-standard vessel that would never be authorized to resume service in its waters.
“Shipbreaking” #43, January 1 to March 31, 2016
“Shipbreaking ” # 43
Quarterly bulletin of information and analysis on end-of-life ships.
January 1 to March 31 (pdf, 85 p. – 8 Mo)
Panama Papers in Brest
The Captain Tsarev has been rusting for 7 and a half years in basin n°5 of the commercial port of Brest. Built in 1982 in Lübeck (Germany), 153.60m in length, the ship suffered an engine failure and was towed to the Brittany port in November 2008. She never left. The crew has not been paid, 15 of the 24 Russian and Ukranian crew members disembarked in February 2009, the others remained on board until September 2009. The Captain Tsarev has been visited, pillaged, squatted, and suffered a fire in September 2014. The Russian ship-owner based in Piraeus (Greece) no longer gives any sign of life. The vessel is a dump. She contains 4 to 500 t of extinguishing water following the fire, asbestos and 5 to 600 t of fuel. She flies the Panama flag.
Kalliopi RC, a mechanical refugee at Le Havre
Kalliopi RC, ex Hoechst Express, is the fourth in the series of 8 Samsung 4600 container ships. They were built between 1991-1994 for the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd. At that time, with a length of 294m, they seemed gigantic. In March 2015, Hapag-Lloyd, the 6th biggest container shipping line gets rid of its oldest units. Two Samsung 4600 are immediately sent to China to be demolished. The six surviving sisterships got some extra time. The Stuttgart Express is still sailing as MSC Roberta. The other five were bought by the German ship-owner König & Cie Gmbh & Co Kg.
“Shipbreaking #42”, from October 1 to December 31, 2015
Quarterly bulletin of information and analysis on ship demolition # 42
from October 1 to December 31, 2015 pdf 63 pages. 11 Mo
+
Overview and analysis on 10 years of “Shipbreaking” bulletin
and 16 outstanding ex-ships
Shipbreaking, 2015 record
2015, the year of Bangladesh, bulkers go for slaughter, the industry for purgatory
Tons and $
766 ships demolished in 2015, i.e. a 21% drop compared to 2014. The scrap tonnage was 7 million tons, it was 8 million tons in 2014. This has been the weakest year since 2010 for the demolition business. Turbulence in the Top 5: decline in Pakistan and Turkey, drop in India, collapse in China and boom in Bangladesh. With a 47% increase, it is taking the lead after 6 years of Indian reign. 2015 is the year of Bangladesh. The Top 5 absorbed 95% of the demolished ships.
“Shipbreaking #41”, July 1 to September 30, 2015, radioactive offshore platforms are landing
Quarterly bulletin of information and analysis on ship demolition
# 41, from July 1 to September 30, 2015 pdf 60 pages. 7 Mo
– Radioactivity in India, in Bangladesh and in Turkey
– Ship demolition : the plunge
– The dismantling of the floating nuclear power plant Sturgis underway in Texas (p 8)
– The CIA spy boat Hughes GlomarExplorer is awaiting demolition (p 18)
– The detailed and highlighted world panorama on the demolition of naval vessel and merchant cargo ships
A Belgian LNG carrier stranded in Marseille
Not far away from the Corse, on a deserted wharf, another ship is waiting for demolition. Methania was said to be already living in borrowed times in 2007, was struck by a lightning in Zeebrugge in 2008, on technical stops or in lay-up at Brest in 2013 and in 2014, and has been berthed at Marseille since mid-December 2014. Works to be carried out at Marseille repair yard were postponed. They were supposed to last for 2 months. Methania’s obsolete equipment, the availability of larger and more fuel-efficient units manned by less crews deprive her of long term or short term chartering.
Is the Corse about to migrate to Asia ?
The Corse, French flag, IMO n° 8003620, is for sale. Delivered in 1983 by Dubigeon Normandie shipyards at Prairie-au Duc (France), the ferry was operated by SNCM (Société Nationale Corse Méditerranée); she has mainly served the Nice-Corsica route in season and the Marseille-Maghreb route out of season.
In December 2014, after a period of shuttle service between Toulon and Corsica, she was decommissioned : the SNCM, partially privatized in 2006 and today going into receivership, did not plan to operate any further its services to Corsica from Toulon and Nice.
