accepted onto the EU’ s list of ship recycling facilities. For example, the demolisher must be certified to perform demolitions. The Turku Repair Yard is Finland’ s only shipyard specialising in ship repair that is large enough for ship demolitions, says Project Management Manager Oskari Kosonen from the Turku Repair Yard.
“ We could take apart ships up to 260 metres long. We are applying for the necessary permits from the Finnish authorities, which will hopefully help us to get accepted to the EU’ s list of ship recycling facilities,” Kosonen adds. The repair yard already has environmental certificates for ship repairs, but needs a few extra clearances to start demolitions.
On a typical year, the Turku Repair Yard handles the repair and maintenance of over 150 ships, ranging from tankers to passenger ferries. The biggest ships which have gone through the repair & maintenance process have been crude oil tankers.
HOMECOURT ADVANTAGE
Kim Kangas, Managing Director of Turku Repair Yard, says that if the EU holds firm in the matter – and the European ships will have to be demolished within the EU – there will be considerable business opportunities.
“ The Finnish maritime industry, for example, is a very well-functioning community that could make it work.”
Still, Kangas doesn’ t believe that the Finns are the“ only game in town”: other maritime players in other countries can participate easy enough, since demolishing in itself can be performed in various places around Europe.
“ There have been ship demolishing operations in Denmark, for example, for quite some time,” he says.
Nevertheless, as there are issues such as safety, environment and material-efficiency that will come to play here, Kangas believes that Finns have a great chance of performing well in the race.
DEMO FOR DEMOLISH
Currently, the Ship Recycling project is still in its planning phase and the hunt is on for a“ demo ship” that will be demolished as a part of the project. Programme Manager Piia Moilanen from Tekes believes that the pilot demo ship will be found soon enough: the Turku Repair Yard could, conceivably get to work in demolishing the demo ship in October 2017.
According to Moilanen, the Ship Recycling project is a prime example of the way in which new environmental regulation creates new cleantech business opportunities in the sector.
“ Demolition and recycling expertise could also contribute to sustainable shipbuilding,” says Moilanen.
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The hunt is on for a‘ demo ship.’
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING
Tekes has provided funding for ship demolition planning, via the Government’ s funding for key projects; such funding is allocated for demo projects in the bio, cleantech and digital sectors. Creating an entire new industry is an intriguing possibility, Moilanen comments.
“ We expect that there will be various forms of expertise and solutions that emerge around the demolishing itself,” she says, adding that the new know-how could have tie-ins to circular economy, sustainable ship planning and building as well as cutting-edge demolishing technology.
“ We perceive that especially the multiplier effects can be scalable by nature.” n
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