� COVER STORY �
GSW : Are there any regulations that stipulate clean and safe ship recycling ? Is your technology sustainable ?
TW : EU regulations mandating clean and secure ship recycling , such as the Hong Kong Convention and EU Regulation 1257 / 2013 on ship recycling , are in place . Our technology offers sustainability advantages over current cutting methods . It diminishes health hazards faced by workers who must wear extensive safety equipment during cutting processes , while also minimizing air and sea pollution . In addition , we are also offering an abrasive recycling unit to reuse the abrasive used in the cutting process . In contract manufacturing , for example , you can use our abrasive recycling unit and reprocess the abrasive . While dismantling offshore structures , such as offshore oil rigs , most of the cutting process takes place below the sea surface . Therefore , the water we use will go back to its original source as well as the abrasive .
WAS technology is superior compared to the current cutting technologies . As it is a cold process , no toxic slag or fumes are produced . Furthermore , it is more predictable as it does not rely on the quality of the worker . In addition , we can cut from outside to inside which makes it easier to recycle used water and abrasive .
GSW : If I am not mistaken , you provide shipyards with your technology as a tool . Can you please elaborate on some projects you are participating in ?
TW : We have two primary approaches : either we provide our technology , and a partner seamlessly integrates it into a manipulation system , like a robot ; or we offer an all-inclusive
Mr . Till Weber , General Manager of Applied New Technologies AG
solution . It is worth noting that ship recycling is still in its developmental stages in Germany . A significant portion of recycling occurs in Southeast Asia . We are proud to contribute to ship recycling and the production of environmentally friendly steel . The first pilot projects with our technology are underway in Germany .
GSW : Can you please comment on the quality of the material being recycled ? Is there any loss of quality or change in quality ?
TW : The quality of the material being recycled with the
Comparison of separation techniques for ship dismantling .
8 Green Steel World | Issue 9 | November 2023