Second Bangladeshi yard recognised as HKC compliant

The Bangladeshi ship recycling yard is the second to be certified as compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) guidelines for the HKC. ClassNK awarded the first certification to PHP Ship Breaking and Recycling Industries Limited (PHP) in January 2020.

The statement was issued upon review of the Ship Recycling Facility Plan (SRFP) developed by PHP and onsite inspections to confirm that its ship recycling process follows the SRFP.

This complex undertaking was assisted by GMS, the world’s largest buyer of ships and offshore vessels, under their award-winning Sustainable Ship & Offshore Recycling Program (SSORP). Under this Program, employees from S.N. Corporation were offered technical support and guidance throughout the certification process in order to ensure a supported end-to-end solution for sustainable ship recycling. 

Dr. Anand Hiremath, Chief Sustainability Officer at GMS, said, “We are extremely proud to have played a part in the success of S.N. Corporation’s HKC certification. As the global maritime industry looks to implement cleaner, decarbonised shipping operations throughout the supply chain, the ship recycling industry in South Asia is taking significant proactive steps to support this transition to more sustainable practices and enable the responsible recovery of reusable materials. We congratulate S.N. Corporation on this achievement, and welcome further opportunities to collaborate with global ship recycling yards seeking to facilitate sustainability in the coming years.”

The IMO Guidelines offer a technical standard to assist in the early implementation of the HKC, with advice on how yards can achieve compliance such that ship recycling does not pose any unnecessary risks to human health/safety and environment. Although the convention is yet to be ratified, responsible ship recycling yard operators have begun undertaking voluntary certification so as to ensure rigorous safety standards and support ongoing calls for Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting across maritime.