Brownsville yard recycles first EU-flag ship

MT Wolverine at International Shipbreaking's facility prior to recycling. [Image: EMR]

After being accepted for processing in January this year, a 158 meter chemical tanker, the MT Wolverine has become the first EU-flagged ship to be recycled in the U.S. in accordance with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.

The project follows a $30 million investment in new equipment and processes at the Brownsville, Texas, yard of International Shipbreaking Ltd (ISL), part of international recycling specialist EMR Group. The investment enabled the yard to meet the rigorous requirements of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SSR).

Prior to being decommissioned, the Wolverine was sailing under the Norwegian flag.

The ship was built by the Aker Tulcea shipyard in Romania in 2006. An Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) was completed by the ship’s owner, which International Shipbreaking Limited reviewed before developing the MT Wolverine Ship Recycling Plan.

Using innovative and sustainable recycling processes, ISL was able to recycle 97 percent of the materials removed from the ship.

The project is fully compliant with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) with all waste materials removed from the vessel disposed of in accordance with the EU SRR requirements.

“The arrival of MT Wolverine at our Brownville site was a proud day for everyone at International Shipbreaking Ltd,” said Chris Green, senior manager at ISL. “By investing $30 million in the latest technology, equipment and infrastructure, our business has become the first in the U.S. to be able to recycle ships to a level compliant with the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SSR). MT Wolverine shows that this effort and commitment is paying off.”

“Around the world there are still too many ships that end their days being recycled in dangerous and environmentally-harmful yards on the other side of the world. By continuing to raise our standards, International Shipbreaking Ltd is showing responsible ship owners there is better way to do business.

“ISL has the capacity to safely moor and recycle ships over 1,200 feet (366 meters) in length and 158 feet (48 meters) wide,” added Green. “The capacity to recycle these large ships in a safe and responsible manner is available to EU ship owners. ISL completed the MT Wolverine ship recycling project without any recordable injuries to our employees, hazardous or regulated material spills, or regulatory violations of any kind. This represents a new era for International Shipbreaking Ltd. and our parent company EMR in the marine recycling industry.”