Alang-based yards that have made efforts to modernise their facilities should be supported by the European Union (EU), the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) says.
After returning from a study trip to Alang, ECSA said it was able to witness first-hand the investments made in a number of yards.
Niels Smedegaard, president of ECSA, said: “Alang and other places in south Asia have for years been criticised for poor standards – and rightly so, - but a positive development has begun and this should be supported, not undermined.
“Whilst there are yards where improvements are clearly necessary, others have already taken the lead in changing their recycling practices to reflect advanced modern standards.”
Comments from ECSA come hot on the heels of EU adopting a more positive stance towards beaching yards at Alang.
As TradeWinds print edition reports today, EU’s Ship Recycling Regulations (SRR) ruled beaching yards out of contention, but a seminar for potential so-called yard verifiers was held recently.
ECSA’s secretary general Patrick Verhoeven said: “Unfortunately, the signals sent from the European Commission are all but encouraging.
“The guidelines on which recycling yards have to base their application do not differentiate between hazardous and non-hazardous waste, which de facto excludes all yards in India, even the most advanced ones.”
Danish conglomerate Maersk Line has sent its first two vessels to be scrapped at Alang, sparking a debate between environmentalists and the industry.
ECSA said it fully supports the decision of several large shipowners to audit and assess for themselves the recycling practices in Alang.
