Maersk has signed a memorandum of understanding in Egypt to explore green ship recycling in the Middle Eastern nation as part of the government’s bid to be less reliant on imported scrap metal.
The planned demolition yard will be created at Damietta port to the west of Port Said on the Mediterranean and will be compliant with the incoming Hong Kong Convention on improved ship recycling conditions.
The Egyptian site will cover some 155,000 sq m and will be capable of handling ships of up to 230 m in length. Other Egyptian ship recycling sites are also being discussed.
Maersk has a history of helping nations develop greener ship recycling sites. For instance, when it took over P&O Nedlloyd 20 years ago, it took on the responsibility of developing what was then China’s leading demo yard.