With a second Bangladeshi ship recycling yard now certified as compliant with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) guidelines for the Hong Kong Convention (HKC), significant steps towards greener ship recycling practices in South Asia are being taken.

Chattogram, Bangladesh, 10 March 2023: The certification of M/S. S.N. Corporation’s Unit-02 ship recycling yard at Shitalpur, Sitakunda is a significant step for Bangladeshi green ship recycling, as this heralds the second ship yard in the country to become compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Guidelines for Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling. The rigorous certification process was undertaken by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, establishing that S.N. Corporation was capable of the intensive procedural and performance standards required under the Hong Kong Convention (HKC). 

Dr. Anand Hiremath, Chief Sustainability Officer at GMS, said, “S.N. Corporation's HKC certification is a testament to their dedication and hard work. As the global maritime industry looks to implement cleaner, decarbonised shipping operations throughout the supply chain, the ship recycling industry in South Asia is taking significant proactive steps to support this transition to more sustainable practices and enable the responsible recovery of reusable materials. We congratulate S.N. Corporation on this achievement, and welcome further opportunities to collaborate with global ship recycling yards seeking to facilitate sustainability in the coming years.”

The IMO Guidelines offer a technical standard to assist in the early implementation of the HKC, with advice on how yards can achieve compliance such that ship recycling does not pose any unnecessary risks to human health/safety and environment. Although the convention is yet to be ratified, responsible ship recycling yard operators have begun undertaking voluntary certification so as to ensure rigorous safety standards and support ongoing calls for Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting across maritime. 

About GMS

Headquartered in Dubai, GMS is the world’s largest buyer of ships and offshore vessels for recycling. It is dedicated to sustainable ship and offshore recycling practices and works closely with ship and offshore vessel owners as well as the recycling yards themselves. GMS has built a reputation as an advocate for Hong Kong Convention (HKC) compliant best practices and has invested in training ship recycling yards and their workers to meet HKC standards.

For more information on the company’s services, latest news and updates, visit the GMS website.