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.
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.
Tianjin : business as usual
CMA CGM Christophe Colomb was at Tianjin from August 12 to August 17. The French container ship is expected at Southampton and Dunkirk on September 20 and 22. She has been exposed for a long time to the air pollution that followed the explosions and fires occuring from August 12 on at the logistic areas of the Chinese port.
Tianjin : business as usual
CMA CGM Christophe Colomb was at Tianjin from August 12 to August 17. The French container ship is expected at Southampton and Dunkirk on September 20 and 22. She has been exposed for a long time to the air pollution that followed the explosions and fires occuring from August 12 on at the logistic areas of the Chinese port.
