SUMMARY OF PROJECT PROGRESS SEPTEMBER 2013
We are already in the process of closure of the RECYSHIP project.
At the end of April, the third boat Life was bought, being a draga of about 155 tons of gross tonnage, 47 metres in length, 8.4sleeve and 4.3 of draught. Decontamination was carried out during the summer. Paint stripping and cutting of sheet metal prototypes were used as part of the process map.With regard to legislation concerning the recycling of ships, in April were approved the amendments made to the draft regulation presented in 2012.
In May 2013 the Fifth ship Life, the submarine of the Armada Española "marsopa"was acquired, which supplemented the complexity of recycled boats. This ship is the largest studied in the project, with its 58 meters of length, sleeve 6.8 and 4.6 of draught. It is the ship which struck the project, both for its complexity at the time of being decontaminated, as its size and uniqueness by the type of vessel that it is.
The process of full decontamination of the submarine began in August, concluding in September 2013. The processing of authorizations for its towing to Vinaroz, place where we will proceed to its dismantling, is in the process of resolution.
In the month of July 2013 became Navalria the boat "Lady Mary", the fourth and last ship which was dismantled in Portuguese lands. In this boat it couldn´t be used the prototype of sheet metal cutting due to the dimensions that this had, however, the machine of pickling of painting was tested for longitudinal lines of the boat and characteristic structural details in order to validate the different mouths that were designed for the prototype (corners, curves...).The dimensions of the type of boat yacht Lady Mary were 18 m length and 5 m breadth, with a gross tonnage of 40 tm.
The most important actions carried out during the month of September, being the last month of the LIFE project, are the completion of the decontamination of the submarine Marsopa and the celebration of the international day on September 27 in Pamplona; to which has been invited the major interest groups.During the last month of the project, in addition, various technical reports as well as the closures of financial reports are being developed.
SUMMARY OF PROJECT PROGRESS FEBRUARY 2013
Because of delays in obtaining licenses to be able to start the activity, as well as the difficulties in the acquisition and transfer of vessels for scrapping, the project had to request an extension of his time until September 30, 2013, which was granted.
In February 2013, came towed to Navalria facilities the second boat Life. it was the tugboat Vandoma, with dimensions of 38 meters in length, 7 in sleeve and 3.3 of draught, being its weight of 155 tons of gross tonnage. Decontamination is being performed using methods and techniques previously raised for its removal.
With the scrapping of these two ships out of use, the first real tests with the prototypes has been done, the necessary adjustments have been done and the results have been analyzed.
Project Recyship is having a widespread both in the media and at the institutional level. It should be noted that during the operations of dismantling this tugboat, the 18th of March, , Recyship has received the visit of the journalist Mr. Toland from Life magazine which did a report on the project and the expectations that have at the conclusion of itself.
SUMMARY OF PROJECT PROGRESS SEPTEMBER 2012
First LIFE boat from Portuguese waters by Navalria was acquired in June 2012. The boat Libertação is a fishing vessel of 100 tonnes of arching, with 26 m long and 6.4 m breadth. Decontamination and decommissioning was carried out during the summer, following the previously elaborated process map.
The authorisation of waste management of Navalria was obtained in February 2012.In March 2012 IMO ratified the 3 major guidelines of the Convention (IHM, SRFP and SRP). The EU also presented the new approach for the future directive (COM-2012 120, COM-2012 118 and SWD-2012 47).In that same month the EC presented a first draft of the new regulation, which would alter the Rule 1013/2006, which would allow the recycling of large European ships in developing countries, instead of forcing them to use only facilities of scrap yards that meet European standards of respect for the environment and respect for health and safety at work.
At the beginning of the year 2012 the prototype of water treatment was sent in several phases to Navalria facilities. Its on-site final Assembly took place in may 2012, initiating in this way the testing and validation of the pilot plant in Navalria. Finally, the line of fluid treatment was completed at the end of may of 2012, with the automation system as well as the inclusion of alarms. First validations of operation of the processes were carried out with waters of boats located on Navalria to be repaired.
The prototype of pickling was sent to Navalria in May for the first tests. During May and June the first tests and adjustments of the prototype were carried out on vessels in service located in Navalria, not included within the project. These tests that were performed both at hull and deck, corroborated the high reuse of moreno as abrasive corundum. Pickling prototype was used in the first boat of the Life project: the Libertação, following the methodology of the project.
The prototype of sheet metal cutting, following several tests and validation in the facilities of Tecnalia, was presented in the "machine tool biennial fair" held in Bilbao at BEC. After the fair, in June 2012, was sent to Navalria for installation in the manitu and validation with the boat "Libertação". Several cuts were made in the same hull of the boat.. It was also used more by the surface it previously stripped by another prototype. The results were satisfactory. It was observed that prototype of cut was more efficient with unpainted surfaces.
First LIFE boat from Portuguese waters by Navalria was acquired in June 2012. The boat Libertação is a fishing vessel of 100 tonnes of arching, with 26 m long and 6.4 m breadth. Decontamination and decommissioning was carried out during the summer, following the previously elaborated process map.
SUMMARY OF PROJECT PROGRESS FEBRUARY 2012
The project enters its final months which requires extra effort by all partners. At the last meeting, due to legal problems that have prevented the start the on-site demonstration at Navalria, in Aveiro, a proposal was made to incorporate a new Spanish partner to the project, Desguace Industriales y Navales, DINA.
As for the prototypes, the prototype developed by Tecnalia for semi-authomatic cutting is finished, Tecnalia has received the parts that were awaited for and will be testing in the shop in January/February.
In February, it is hoped to bring the prototype to the installations of DINA in Baracaldo to perform final testing and adjustments.
In the water treatment prototype, the problems as the bottleneck of the particulate filter or the issue of water pumps have been solved. It has been already adjusted to the size specifications for the scrapping at Navalria and DINA. The prototype for liquid separation and treatment will be introduced into a container so it can be carried to Navalria after the tests are runs at DINA. The prototype for paint scrabbing, which is completely ready, will be sent to DINA for some initial testing, and subsequently sent to Navalria along with the water treatment one long as permits are obtained.
Tecnalia will develop a Visit Day, showing videos and prototypes of the project RECYSHIP together with other projects of welding in construction and repair of ships.
RECYSHIP, in addition to its own prototypes, is researching and contacting companies in the EU that are developing other specific equipment for ship scrapping. Large shears rising to 40m that are intended for demolition in any situation, that from the same device can be more mobile and take severe angles, ship breaking couplings for drydocking, other models of robotic cutting, equipment based on brute force as excavators modified for use in demolition, etc. .
We have also studied other models such as arc cutting, which was rejected by the complexity and excessive noise generated, Diamond wire cutting, the results of this technology have not been very encouraging as it is very expensive, breaks a lot, and also the noise is very high, greater than 190db. Even if developed under water, noise manages beyond the dam.
To RECYSHIP it has become clear that, generally, in all these studies they do not take into account environmental or labor issues as water management, underwater noise, emissions ... and have focused solely on improvements in cutting technology, but not in improving the environmental aspects of decommissioning of ships.
During the fall 2011, RECYSHIP collaborated with the project DIVEST offering future partner DINA´s facilities to develop tests of noise, emissions, analytical compounds and materials in ships, etc. Among the most interesting findings, there was the noise exposure that the personnel involved in flame cutting are subject to. Values greater than 110 dB were recorded at a worker distance, but these values decreased sharply with increasing distance to just over 2m. This evidence makes clear the need for hearing protection to torch cutters.
All studies conducted by DIVEST and RECYSHIP have given reasons to a philosophical shift in naval scrapping. It is essential to introduce heavy machinery and reduce the time and use of flame cutting. Noise, occupational risks, accidents, air emissions or deposition of metals are scrapping naval problems that can be eliminated only by changing the traditional flame cutting for machines developed specifically for it. This being said, however, using the torch will always be necessary, and in such cases, additional safety measures are essential.
A new Newsletter has been sent this month to explain the situations that occurred during the summer and autumn of 2011.
RECYSHIP continues to update the legislations related to ship dismantling which will not end until the end of the project as new things will keep coming up as bidding issues, administrative problems, or the blocking of the IMO Convention after September´s Basel Convention which has confirmed ships out of use as waste and therefore not excluded from the agreement.
For both the IMO and the EU this was a crucial point in its objectives, so the decision from the Basel Convention not to change its position, made both the IMO and the EU to rethink their steps. On the one hand the IMO believes this will provoke further delay in ratification of Hong Kong Convention, but will continue to work. For the EU, it has meant changing the policy that had been prepared and which is now expected during the first half of 2012.
On the other hand, scrapping subsidies of fishing vessels from 2012 to 2020 will stop after 2014, because they have not met the desired objectives. Hopefully from now on fishing vessels will also fall within the general category of ships and the general law which is developed for their scrapping.
The EU has recently commented saying that the law on waste shipment is being breached in 98% of European ships. It is true that, when applied Basel, a ship in international waters is not subject to this legislation, but it remains to solve the fact that many ships are openly declared to be sent for scrapping and, even so, violate the law with unauthorized transfers inside and outside the EU.
From August to October 2011, 251 large ships of more than 10000-15000Tn, were scrapped in the world (89 European flagged, and 91 other of European manufacturing), not all of them were out of European waters, some were towed and some even went on the newspaper where the owners indicated that the vessels were sent for scrapping in India or Bangladesh sailing from European ports.
And meanwhile the project remains stalled trying to get ships "legally" for their studies. It is thought to approach boats at the Canary Islands to request some abandoned vessels for the project as this community has a huge fleet of ships abandoned. Still, it is feared that the bureaucracy and paperwork we are required to will extend the project.
SUMMARY OF PROJECT
PROGRESS OCTOBER 2011
In late
June 2011 and due to problems with the ships acquired in the Canaries, we
studied several options for the purchase of other ships with which to perform
the dismantling and decontamination activities.
2 vessels
were purchased at the Port of Vigo through a public auction developed by the
Port Authority.
The vessels
had been declared abandoned by the AP of Vigo and were acquired through the
public auction.
Our
previous observations (and later ones too) showed us several flaws in the way
of acting both by the administration and private companies:
1 -
Applying existing laws, if an object is declared in abandonment, this
automatically becomes a waste, dangerous or not, but definitely a waste. In the
allotment of vessels declared abandoned (which by law become the responsibility
of the government represented by the port authority) this does not apply, and
the ship is still considered as such allowing access to it by both companies
and individuals without licenses or permits for residue management, not even
waste producer and causing a rise in prices that hinder the proper management
of ships. In this section, the agents are the Port Authority and buyers.
2 -
Investigating the grantees (buyers) of ships and the conditions of the auction,
it is clear that there are no authorized agents (and that this figure itself
does not exist in Spanish law), most of which get the ships awarded to them
have neither authorized waste producer licences, not even have facilities, and
generally, all they have is a permit from the AP or Maritime Captain to
dismantle ships, although there are situations in which there is not even that
authorization and is only asked for once won the auction (at the risk of not
obtaining it).
3 - Once
awarded the ship an clearly defined its destination as scrapping (second
reason, besides the declaration of abandonment, establishing its position as residue),
it is prepared and reviewed for transfer and audited by the Captain Maritime to
establish its capability for navigation or to be towed. Once accepted,
the ship is towed (usually) to its destination port. The actors here are the maritime captaincy of origin
and destination and the winner of the vessel (other than tugs and other typical
elements in the movement of ships, but unimportant in the situation).
Given these
irregularities, we wanted to make the purchase of ships and their transfer
correctly applying the law. We therefore considered them as waste and presented
to the Spanish and Portuguese authorities our intention to move ships from Vigo
to the project facilities in Aveiro, Portugal.
After that, all our problems began. Portugal, which until then had never seen ships as waste but just had held a workshop in Lisbon of EC member states on the subject of ships and the Hong Kong convention, and that had the intention to present the transposition of the new EU Residues Directive, decide that, they were not only waste, but dangerous waste, and therefore must apply for a transboundary movement of waste, and as there is no figure of ship out of use, they decided to consider it as an end of life vehicle.
We got in touch with the Spanish Ministry of Environment which, being in this
situation for the first time, sent us to the Env. Department of the Xunta de
Galicia which, again confirmed that it was the first time they faced this type
of process (even though in recent years more than 400 ships have been sent to
be scrapped from its ports). At this point, it was decided that it should be
treated as a "normal" hazardous waste transfer, and so the situation
becomes complex and due to it the project got blocked. We are still
trying to solve it.
According to EC Regulation 1013, this process requires a producer of waste,
which would be the Port Authority, which at no time accepts its responsibility
for "the residue". Requires a transport / tug authorized to transport
hazardous waste, which does not exist at sea, requires an authorized agent of
the waste, for which there is no figure (unless carrecyclers licences are used,
but these are never in ports or ever have scrapped ships). Also requires a
management cost calculations that do not exist (the project Recyship proposes
to establish this calculation).
Finally indicate that this regulation is proposed for the common transfer of waste that is based on having a constant source of one type of waste, a constant method or means of transport and a fixed destination for the waste produced. In this situation a permanent license is asked for, which takes about 3 months and then the transfers only requires communications whenever you will make another move (10 days for processing).
In our case, the original producers are the various port authorities that have
never been involved and have never considered the ships as a waste. The
transport is made by tug companies that transport the waste as a ship and not
as waste. And finally, the receiver of the residue, although in our case is a
repair yard fully licensed for waste production and complies fully with
everything needed to manage these residues unlike other "scrapyards",
does not have a management license (for which we applied at that point and we
are still waiting for).
The first problem is that, unlike regular shipments, the producer of the waste here is never the same, only the destination is constant. This forces that each time you want to move a ship, you have to make a demand that takes more than 3 months, something unbearable for any installation.
The second problem is that in the absence of the figure of the manager of end
of life ships, and that the Portuguese administration did not accept that we
were to conduct a study for a project (because they say that this is only
accepted for no more than 25kg of residue), we had to deal with a license for
hazardous waste manager (end of life vehicles), which takes to process another
3 months, and for which we are still waiting.
The third problem is that during the summer, however, we have followed
and watched as several vessels have been sold and moved to different scrap
yards without any problem, consideration and, of course, administrative
procedure for the transfer of waste (including facilities outside the European
Union).
With this situation, we are in October, pending various administrative decisions that may allow us to proceed with the project.