Germany’s Zeaborn Ship Management has contracted Verifavia Shipping and the Korean Register (KR) to perform inventory of hazardous materials (IHM) preparation and certification for over 100 vessels.
As informed, the vessels managed by Zeaborn Ship Management, a consolidation of E.R. Schiffahrt and Rickmers Shipmanagement, are required to be IHM compliant to meet the terms of both the EU and IMO ship recycling regulations.
Verifavia has received approval from KR to act as a service supplier for IHM, meaning that Verifavia can conduct IHM investigations for vessels on their own, and KR will verify and certify their results.
The Hong Kong Convention is aimed at reducing the negative impact of ship recycling on human health and safety, and on the environment. The convention has already been implemented for EU-flagged vessels and vessels from third countries calling at an EU port or anchorage through the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR).
The EU SRR prohibits or restricts the installation and use of hazardous materials on board ships, as well as making it mandatory for ships to carry on board a certified IHM specifying the location and approximate quantities of those materials. From December 31, 2018, this applies to new EU-flagged ships and existing ships going for dismantling, and from December 31, 2020, will affect all existing EU-flagged ships as well as ships flying the flag of a third country and calling at an EU port or anchorage.
Verifavia’s IHM services involve a process of document collection, onboard sampling check, and laboratory analysis, which is then developed into a report and shared with the class society, in this case the KR, for final onboard cross-checking and certification. This process enables the identification of any hazardous materials that need to be removed when preparing the ship for recycling.
“Under the new regulations, by end of 2020 every ship with an EU flag or any ship entering EU waters must have on board an inventory of hazardous materials (IHM) verified by a recognized organisation like the Korean Register,” Michael Suhr, technical and commercial director, Korean Register explained.