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.

An ex nuclear-powered cargo ship to be demolished in Alang

27 Jan 2010

An ex nuclear-powered cargo ship to be demolished in Alang

Without any drumming up, Germany, pioneer in Europe on the application of nuclear energy to power vessels, has let the ex Otto Hahn leave to be manually demolished in Alang bay India. She was launched in 1967 and represents the symbol of failure concerning the first wave of nuclear powered merchant ships. The Otto Hahn was reconverted into a conventional cargo vessel in 1980. The nuclear reactor of 38 MW was removed, yet it is legitimate to suspect that after having been exploited for thirteen years structural elements were exposed to uncontrolled radiation or radioactive releases. In August 1973 the vessel was the victim of a major accident when two fuel elements of the reactor broke.

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The End of the last French three-masted ship

22 Jan 2010

The End of the last French three-masted ship

After being laid up for several years in Trinidad in the Caribbeans, the ex Oiseau des Iles built by the French shipyard Dubigeon in Nantes in 1935 was sent to be demolished.

The valuable and moving history of this gem of naval construction ranges from the Loire Estuary to the West Indies passing by the South Ocean to French Polynesia and the west coast of Mexico.

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The threshold of 1,000 vessels is reached

21 Jan 2010

Global statement 2009 of vessels sent to demolition :

For four years, Robin des Bois has been studying the demolition market via the mobilisation and the analysis of over thirty different bibliographical sources. Robin des Bois counted 293 vessels sold for demolition in 2006, 288 in 2007 and 456 in 2008. In 2009, 1,006 vessels have left the waters, representing more than twice the 2008 total and three times the 2006 total. The total weight of recycled metal reached more than 8.2 million tons, five times the total amount of 2006.

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(Français) Le Clem recule à Hartlepool

30 Nov 2009

Only in French.

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(Français) Onyx : Note d’information

25 Nov 2009

(Français) Onyx : Note d’information

Only in French.

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“Shipbreaking” n°17

30 Sep 2009

“Shipbreaking” n°17

In February 2009, « because of the restricted visibility due to foggy conditions » the chemical tanker Kashmir loaded with 30.000 t of oil condensates used by the petrochemical industry collided with the container-ship Sima Saman 13 km off Dubaï. The fire which broke out was only brought under control late at night. The plume of smoke darkened the industrial zone and the port of Jebel Ali, south of Dubaï all day long. Five months later the Kashmir was sold for scrapping and towed to India. Soots, residual liquids, melted materials, released asbestos and PCB, dioxins, the working conditions are particularly dangerous for labourers while breaking up damaged ships.

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“Shipbreaking” #16

9 Jul 2009

“Shipbreaking” #16

The shame remains but the crime scene has disappeared.

In October 1992, the Renata (then named MC Ruby) was owned by MC Shipping Company, a subsidiary of the Vlassov Group based in Monaco; her ship manager was V Ships, another subsidiary company of the group. The ship was loaded with cocoa in Ghana and was bound for Le Havre, Amsterdam and Hamburg. During the trip, nine stowaways were discovered, stripped of their money and confined in the forepeak ; they were brought up on the deck by night, then struck and thrown on the high seas between Takoradi and Le Havre. The only survivor alerted officials in Le Havre. On December 9th 1995, at the end of a four week trial, the master and the chief-mate were condemned to a life sentence and three other members of the Ukrainian crew to 20 years of detention. Neither the Vlassov group, nor their subsidiary companies (MC Shipping and V. Ships) have been sued, in spite of the degraded conditions imposed on the crew and the many additional traffics on the ship which were highlighted and known to all. The significant bond between the ship management and the crew was not retained. See« Coke en stock », La Flèche, hiver 1996 and « Le désert des Barbares » communiqué de Robin des Bois, 9 décembre 1995.

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“Shipbreaking” #15

14 Apr 2009

“Shipbreaking” #15

Goodbye Bangladesh, hello Philippines?

On March 18th 2009 the Bangladeshi High Court of Justice ordered the closure within two weeks of all ship-breaking yards operating without environmental clearance. Considering the state of all the ship-breaking yards in the country this would mean completely closing down the field. The decision also prohibits the importation of vessels which have not undergone any preliminary extraction of hazardous materials (asbestos, PCBs, heavy metals, hydrocarbons …) To prepare an appeal against this decision the industries obtained a delay of three weeks. In the meantime, the vessels continue to arrive and are beached in Chittagong. We are left to see how this decision will be followed up, the decisions effects and if it will encourage the Bangladeshi government to put standards in place and follow up the environmental and social conditions of ship-breaking or if the demolition market will move elsewhere: due to the crisis the Japanese ship owners have an influx of vessels to be demolished and are pushing the Filipino government to launch into the demolition business.

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(Français) Vente aux enchères de pièces du France

8 Feb 2009

Only in French.

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The demolition of vessels is being weighed down by the global crisis

3 Feb 2009

The demolition of vessels is being weighed down by the global crisis

The 14th Information bulletin on ship demolition is available. It covers the period of September 22nd to December 31st during which a rush of old hulls heading towards Asian ship-breaking yards is noted. 54% of these vessels belonged to European ship-owners or belonged to members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). In this trend the French ship-owner CGM-CMA sent to be demolished the I’Ursula Delmas ex-Sherbro, the Véronique Delmas and the CMA-CGM Potomac. 65% of the vessels left for demolition during the last trimester of 2008 had previously been detained in harbours worldwide for deficiencies; this confirms deterioration in the maintenance and in the general condition of vessels. They all left without pre cleaning.

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