Is This the End for South Asia Shipbreakers?

By Krishna N. Das and Keith Wallis

ALANG, India/SINGAPORE, July 17 (Reuters) – In the world’s greatest ship recycling centre of Alang on India’s Arabian Sea coast, employees with blow torches lower segments of metal stripped from the rusting hull of a towering cargo ship, bought for scrap by its Japanese proprietor.

But on this city – positioned in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence state of Gujarat – greater than half of the ship-breaking yards have shut prior to now two years and the way forward for the commerce in India and neighbours Bangladesh and Pakistan is bleak.

The business has been hit by a flood of low-cost Chinese metal and new European Union environmental guidelines due later this 12 months threaten to push enterprise to extra fashionable yards in locations like China and Turkey – in flip devastating native economies.

“People are running this business from their heart, not from their mind,” mentioned Chintan Kalthia, whose firm R.L. Kalthia Ship Breaking Pvt Ltd runs considered one of Alang’s extra fashionable yards.

Still, he takes satisfaction in the truth that after months of negotiations with a Japanese proprietor, his yard secured the most important ship presently being recycled in Alang.

“But this is my last ship. This business is dying,” he added, abruptly sounding weary, as employees exterior his beach-side glass workplace sized slabs of metal peeled from the ship.

Ships bought to South Asian breakers, which management about 70 p.c of the market, are winched at excessive tide onto a seashore, the place they’re taken aside by largely migrant labourers.

Equipment, similar to radars, engines – and even tables and chairs – is taken off and bought, whereas the metal from the hull is eliminated for scrap.

The commerce in Alang used to make use of about 60,000 instantly, with 1000’s extra in spin-off companies, mentioned yard homeowners.

But roads on the 11 km (7 mile) seashore entrance that locals say used to buzz with individuals and vehicles now seem abandoned and dozens of retailers displaying all the pieces from crockery to computer systems ripped out of ships are struggling to get provides.

“I used to make five, six, seven trips a day,” mentioned Munna, sitting atop his tractor with additional wheels in a position to carry heavy scrap from the yards. “Now I hardly get one or two calls.”

BLAME CHINA

With a plunge in metal costs, ship homeowners are getting about $3.6 million much less for the 25,000 tonnes of recoverable metallic from a typical iron ore or coal carrying ship than simply eight months in the past.

The finger of blame is being pointed at China.

“China is selling below the price of recycled steel,” mentioned Amit B. Padia, proprietor of Sagar Laxmi Ship Breakers, as an orange crane lifted a toilet faraway from a ship onto a trailer.

With China’s economic system slowing, its metal exports soared 51 p.c to a file 93.78 million tonnes final 12 months and are up almost 30 p.c within the first 5 months of 2015.

The impression has been felt in Alang the place the variety of energetic yards fell to 50 this 12 months from greater than 100 in 2014, in keeping with the Ship Recycling Industries Association India.

The variety of vessels beached additionally dropped to a six-year low of 275 final 12 months and was solely 54 within the final three months, it mentioned.

“WORST IN 30 YEARS”

The scenario in Pakistan seems equally dangerous.

“It has always been a cyclical business but people who have been in this industry tell me this is the worst in 30 years,” mentioned Shoaib Sultan, the proprietor of Horizon Ship Recycling in Karachi.

The story in Bangladesh is analogous.

“Three years ago there were about 80 yards, now it’s down to 25. I think another 10-15 yards will go,” mentioned Zahirul Islam, director of PHP Shipbreaking and Recycling Industries Ltd in Chittagong.

Ship breakers globally purchased 25.2 million deadweight tonnes (dwt) of vessels as much as early July, towards 33.8 million dwt all of final 12 months, with Bangladesh the biggest purchaser, in keeping with delivery providers agency Clarkson.

“Everyone thought prices will improve and bought a lot, but now they are sitting on huge inventories,” mentioned Islam.

“It will be a disaster in the coming months.”

It takes as much as 9 months for a typical bulk service in India to be damaged up and its metal processed, mentioned Rakesh Khetan, chief govt of Singapore-based Wirana Shipping Corp, a significant purchaser of ships for scrap.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS

As nicely as dealing with strain from low-cost Chinese metal, there are additionally calls to cease seashore scrapping due to the hazard and environmental injury from pollution left to empty into the ocean.

Highlighting the dangers, 5 individuals had been killed and no less than 10 injured after an explosion in a chemical tanker being dismantled in Alang final 12 months, native media mentioned.

Workers may also face well being hazards similar to lead paint and asbestos when engaged on ships.

The European Commission will introduce more durable environmental controls a while after December. While not particularly banning seashore scrapping, homeowners of ships registered in EU international locations should scrap them at accepted services, a transfer that would favour international locations similar to China and Turkey the place ships are taken aside in docks.

“The European Commission’s intention is not to discourage vessel owners from using facilities outside of the EU but to discourage ship owners from using facilities which have proven to present very real danger to life and the general environment,” mentioned Mark Clintworth, head of delivery on the European Investment Bank.

In a bid to allay environmental considerations, some yards in South Asia have cemented their work space to attempt to stop seepage of oil or chemical compounds, however many lack the cash to do that.

“It takes about $5 million to improve a yard. How can somebody do that when they are bleeding?,” mentioned Islam of PHP Shipbreaking in Bangladesh.

Clintworth mentioned his financial institution and the European Commission may present funding for South Asian ship scrappers to enhance present operations, in addition to for safer and extra environmentally pleasant new services.

But for a lot of that would come too late and a few, together with Alang’s Sagar Laxmi Ship Breakers, are merely focusing on different industries similar to building.

(Editing by Ed Davies)