Govt targets over 100 green-certified ship recycling yards
The government has set a target to raise the number of green-certified ship recycling yards in the country to more than 100 from the existing around 31, Industries, Commerce and Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said Monday.
“Several more yards are currently undergoing the process of obtaining green certification,” he said while addressing a workshop as the chief guest at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital.
The Ministry of Industries and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) jointly organised the workshop to discuss the feasibility study report for establishing a Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) under the “Bangladesh Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling Project.”
The minister said Bangladesh is one of the leading countries in the global ship recycling industry and at one point surpassed India in terms of the tonnage of ships recycled.
“Although Bangladesh has fallen behind somewhat in recent times, its position in the global ship recycling industry remains significant,” he said.
Highlighting the economic importance of ship recycling, Muktadir said the sector provides employment to a large number of people and serves as an important source of scrap-the key raw material for the country’s steel industry.
However, he stressed that the sector must grow in a responsible and environmentally sound manner.
“Our goal is to make the industry more modern, safe and sustainable by complying with international conventions and environmental standards,” he said.
The minister emphasised the need for technical and financial assistance to increase the number of green-certified yards to over 100, alongside effective enforcement of environmental standards.
Referring to hazardous waste management as one of the major challenges in ship recycling, he said dismantling large vessels generates various hazardous materials and waste that can pose risks to the environment and public health if not properly managed.
He underscored the importance of a Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility (TSDF) for the safe and scientific collection, storage, treatment and disposal of such waste.
The proposed TSDF will play a significant role in managing a large portion of hazardous waste generated by the ship recycling industry, he said.
It will also create opportunities to manage hazardous waste from other sources, including industrial and electronic waste.
Such infrastructure would help bring the industry further in line with international environmental standards and enhance Bangladesh’s competitiveness in the global market, he added.
The minister said the ship recycling sector could be transformed into a safer, modern and sustainable industry through coordinated efforts by the government, industry owners, relevant institutions and international partners.
Industries Secretary Abdun Naser Khan chaired the workshop.
State Minister for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam and Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Hakon Arald Gulbrandsen also spoke at the workshop.
Sumiyuki Otsuki, an international expert from Japan Marine Science Company, presented the keynote paper.
