The Myth: Holes are drilled at the bottom of the tanks to discharge bilge water and waste oil from the beached vessel.
The Reality: International Maritime Organization (IMO), in its resolution MEPC 210 (63), mentions that residual oil tanks should be protected against leakage, overflow, fire, and other potential accidents. Therefore, HKC Compliant recycling facilities prepare a plan for the disposal of bilge water and waste oil present on the vessels as per Part II of the Inventory of Hazardous Materials.
At Alang, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) are the regulatory bodies responsible for handling the waste generated from the recycling vessels. GPCB has appointed Gujarat Enviro Protection Infrastructure Ltd. (GEPIL) to collect bilge water and oily wastes from the recycling vessels. The bilge water is transferred from the vessel into dedicated collection tanks and temporarily stored at storage areas within the yard. Bilge water is delivered to road transport tankers operated by GEPIL for further treatment at GEPIL facilities located in Alang.
The waste oil is delivered to the GPCB authorized subcontractors, which dispatch the waste oil to the refineries.
GEPIL is equipped with a bilge water separator to separate the oil from bilge water. The separated water is treated using an activated sludge process, and treated water is used for gardening as well as for suppression of dust over landfills. The separated oil is collected in the storage tanks.
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Kiran Thorat is a Trader at GMS, where he looks after sustainable ship recycling projects. Kiran believes that Sustainable Recycling is an integral part of Sustainable Shipping and a notable example of a circular economy. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the Marine Engineering and Research Institute (DMET), India, and a Master's Degree in Energy, Trade, and Finance from Cass Business School, London.
Dr. Anand M. Hiremath is a Civil Engineer and holds a Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati), India. He was awarded Doctorate Degree in the year 2016 for his research work on Ship Recycling by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), India. In addition, he has a diploma in Industrial safety, is a qualified lead auditor for ISO 9k, 14k and 18k. Dr. Hiremath published the first practical handbook on ship recycling, entitled: "The Green Handbook: A Practical Checklist to Monitor the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships" which highlights the procedures the GMS RSRP follows to help both Ship and Yard Owners recycle a vessel in an environmentally-friendly manner. He is the Chief Sustainability Officer of GMS.
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