Maersk Line is sending its first two end-of-life vessels to Alang, India to be scrapped below a brand new firm plan geared toward growing extra accountable recycling choices alongside Alang’s notorious stretch of seashore.

In an announcement launched Friday, Maersk mentioned that it has reached an settlement to ship the Maersk Wyoming and Maersk Georgia to Alang in late May to be recycled on the Shree Ram yard, which is licensed to the requirements of the Hong Kong Convention.

The transfer comes following an announcement from Maersk Group in February asserting a dedication to assist chosen ship recycling yards in Alang to improve amenities and practices to adjust to each the corporate’s and worldwide requirements. Maersk’s coverage is to solely recycle ships responsibly, which till not too long ago has solely been possible in a restricted variety of yards in China and Turkey.

“By initiating recycling of vessels in Alang at responsible yards, we ensure further development of financially feasible and responsible recycling options to the benefit of Alang and the shipping industry. This development will take time, but we are determined to work with the yards for the long haul,” says Annette Stube, Head of Sustainability within the Maersk Group.

Maersk says it has been witness to regular enhancements of situations at ship recycling yards in Alang within the final couple of years, and following a number of audits at upgraded amenities there 2015, the Group concluded that accountable recycling will be accelerated within the space if the engagement is made now.

“The Alang plans come at a cost for us, but we will invest money and human resources to ensure we can already now scrap our vessels in compliance with the Hong Kong Convention provisions (HSE) as well as international standards on labor conditions and anti-corruption. We will also have staff on-site at Shree Ram. They will be working closely with the yard to further upgrade practices, processes and facilities to ensure that the recycling of our vessels complies with our standards,” says Annette Stube.

Out of a complete of 768 ships recycled globally in 2015, 469 – representing 74% of the entire gross tonnage scrapped – have been offered to amenities on seashores in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Critics of Maersk’s plan, such because the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, have argued that the apply of beaching won’t ever be secure for employees or the surroundings, and that Maersk’s choice to resort to the low-cost beaching strategies in India undermines European efforts to enhance international situations, in addition to the corporate’s place as an trade chief.

“The situation in Alang is not ‘fantastic’ as stated by Maersk,” mentioned Patrizia Heidegger, Executive Director of the NGO Shipbreaking Platform following Maersk’s announcement in February. “Similar conditions would not be accepted in Denmark, in any other shipping nation in Europe, or in the shipping hubs in East Asia. By selling ships to the Alang beach, Maersk is externalising costs for proper recycling and undermining the standard set by the European Ship Recycling Regulation. We expected visionary leadership from Maersk and that their CSR report boasted support for the setting up of a truly modern ship recycling facility in India. Instead they are rubberstamping practices that they previously denounced.”