Ship recycling can sometimes be associated with negative stories—unsafe working conditions, environmental damage, and exploitation of workers.
While these concerns have been true in the past, the industry has gone through significant improvements in recent years.
At Odfjell, we take an active role in ensuring that when we recycle a ship, it is done with the highest possible standards of safety, sustainability, and respect for people.
Planning for responsible recycling
When a vessel reaches an age where trading becomes difficult or where costly investments would be required to extend its life, we start evaluating alternatives—including recycling.
The decision is never taken lightly and is always based on a mix of market conditions, the vessel’s location, and sustainability considerations.
Regulations differ depending on the ship’s flag. Our Marshall Islands–flagged vessels can be recycled at any compliant yard that follows the Hong Kong Convention, while ships flagged under the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS) or operating in the EU must be recycled within approved EU facilities.
Choosing the right yard
India’s Alang region hosts around 120 ship recycling yards, and today 80–90% of them are certified in line with the Hong Kong Convention. Over the past years, we have carefully inspected many of these yards. In 2025 alone, I personally visited and inspected ten different facilities.
Together with independent experts such as Grieg Green and Calm Ocean, we maintain a shortlist of shipyards that meet Odfjell’s expectations. Only these selected yards are invited into our sales processes. The contracts go beyond international regulations: they also include strict commitments to environmental protection, human rights, labor rights, transparency, supervision, and “stop work” authority if safety is compromised.
Independent supervision
Our policy is clear: an independent supervisor must monitor all recycling on-site. For Bow Fagus, we have engaged CalmOcean, who will have representatives present at the yard throughout the process. They have the authority to intervene or stop any unsafe or unsustainable practice immediately.
Before Bow Fagus arrived at the yard, Senior Technical Superintendent Tonny Muri and I met with yard management, workers, and supervisors to align on the shared goal of safe and sustainable recycling. We also visited the hazardous material center, the local hospital, and downstream facilities that handle reused materials.
Remarkably, 99.9% of a ship is reused or recycled—from steel and tanks to cutlery, toilets, generators, and even decorations.
Building partnerships and driving change
Recycling is not just about dismantling ships—it is about creating value for people, business, and the environment.
Last week, we also participated in a major workshop hosted by the Norwegian Consulate in India, where we engaged with local and national authorities, labor organizations, classification societies, equipment manufacturers, academics, and NGOs.
Our presence and high standards help raise the bar for the entire industry. Yards that want to work with Odfjell know that they need to continuously improve, and this ripple effect benefits everyone: safer working conditions, cleaner operations, and a more sustainable business model.
Looking ahead
We recently completed the safe recycling of Bow Clipper and are preparing the final reports. With Bow Fagus now at the yard, we are confident that the process will once again meet the highest standards. This is how Odfjell contributes to making ship recycling safer, more transparent, and truly sustainable—one vessel at a time.
Why does this matter for all of us at Odfjell? Because sustainability is not only about the emissions and pollution, but also about the responsibility we take at the very end of a vessel’s life. By setting the bar high, we protect people, the planet, and our reputation.
