The Union Ministry of Shipping, Ports & Waterways, in partnership with the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Ficci), hosted an international conference on ‘Green Ship Recycling and Vehicle Scrapping’ in September this year in Gandhinagar.
The conference showcased the current status of the ship recycling industry in Gujarat and the adoption of compliance under the Hong Kong Convention (HKC). It provided a platform for discussing on how the European Union’s (EU) shipping industry can benefit from the ship recycling facilities in Gujarat and explore partnerships with EU member countries.
In recent years, Gujarat has emerged as a critical player in the ship recycling industry. The state is home to one of the largest ship-breaking yards in the world, located in Alang, which accounts for about 50 percent of India’s ship recycling capacity. The conference will highlight opportunities available in the ship recycling industry in Gujarat and promote adopting environmentally sustainable practices.
The HKC is an international treaty designed to ensure that ships are recycled in an environmentally sound manner, focusing on worker safety and pollution prevention. India has been pushing for greater adoption of the convention, ratified by 16 countries, including India, Belgium and France.
