China Navigation Company (CNCo), parent body of Swire Shipping Fiji, is paving the way forward for ship recyclers in the region and across the world with its sustainable ship recycling initia­tives.

The shipping brand well known for pioneering sustainable shipping solutions in the maritime indus­try, is also the founding member of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI), designed to help make long-term sustainable plans for future success. In their continuous bid to uphold sustainable shipping solu­tions, CNCo group of companies has implemented a policy that will see all ships, at the end of their economic lives recycled in a sustainable, safe, responsible and environmentally sound manner.

This policy will apply to all CNCo group vessels at the end of their eco­nomic life are not sold for onward trading but would be sent for recy­cling.

CNCo sustainable development manager Simon Bennet said China Navigation Company evaluates the ship recycling facilities to ensure that they are up to par with the standards of safety and sustainable environment practices upheld by the company.

“When CNCo seeks to recycle a ship, it will only tender to ship recycling facilities that are fully certified by a reputable, independent, competent third party having a valid and veri­fied accreditation against the Hong Kong International Convention (HIC) for the safe and environmen­tally sound recycling of ships,” Mr Bennet said.

“CNCo has seen the recycling of two of its vessels, MV Changsha and MV Chengtu, at R L Kalthia ship recycling facility in Alang, India – an early adopter of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC),” he said