Record attendance at TradeWinds' Ship Recycling Forum

A record number of more than 200 breakers, brokers and buyers and service providers at the cutting edge of ship demolition descended on Singapore last week for the TradeWinds Ship Recycling Forum including the heads of the Indian, Bangladesh and Pakistan national recycling associations.

A packed afternoon workshop discussed improvements at the waterfront including the growing number of Alang shipbreakers certified as holding a Statement of Compliance with the Hong Kong Convention. Health, safety and environmental standards in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, China and the USA were also discussed and debated by an expert panel including John Stawpert of ICS, Francesca Carlsson of NGO Shipbreaking Platform, Jim Heath of Lloyd’s Register, Henning Gramann of GSR Services, Nitin Kanakiya of Triveni Ship Breakers and Chetan Patel, owner of Shree Ram Group.

Differences were put aside for a few hours as participants enjoyed an evening with views over Marina Bay hosted by Dani Patel, Director of Dubai-based Al Salam Insurance and Junichi Hirata of Japan’s ClassNK.

Networking at the Al Salam Insurance and ClassNK evening reception.

But it was soon back to business with a warm welcome from principal sponsor Gaurav Mehta of Best Oasis / Priya Blue followed by a hard-hitting debate between ‘godfather of ship recycling’ Dr Nikos Mikelis and the NGO Platform’s Francesca Carlsson on whether shipowners are ‘keeping demo in the dark ages by sending ships to South Asia’. A poll of delegates immediately after the debate showed that 23% agree.

Francesca Carlsson, NGO Shipbreaking Platform debates with Dr Nikos Mikelis

The lively exchange of views followed on from the presentation from Maersk’s Head of Sustainability, Annette Stube who called on other shipowners to follow the Maersk lead and get involved in how ships are recycled.

That may take some time, according to Darren Lepper of Clarksons Platou and the commercial panel which included Gaurav Mehta of Best Oasis, Dr Anil Sharma of GMS, Rakesh ‘Billu’ Khetan of Wirana – a group who can reasonably claim to represent the cash-buying element of 80% of all large commercial vessels sold for scrap.

Darren Lepper of Clarksons Platou on the market for green recycling.

Bangladesh breaker Md. Zahirul Islam Managing Director of PHP Ship Breaking & Recycling Industries urged owners and Class Societies to support the safety and social improvements at PHP and said he looked forward to a national solution to the problem of treating, storing and disposing of hazardous waste from ships.

Delegates were themselves ‘beached’ courtesy of Sanjay Mehta of Best Oasis / Priya Blue who took over Sentosa’s Tanjong Beach Club to host a highly spirited closing party.

Delegates relax at the Tanjong Beach Club, hosted by Best Oasis / Priya Blue

The TradeWinds Ship Recycling Forum was sponsored by Best Oasis / Priya Blue, ClassNK, Al Salam Insurance, The IHMA, Lucion Marine, Simsekler Group and Wilhelmsen Ship Management.