Our commitments on ship recycling

1. Create opportunities for responsible ship recycling of post-panamax ships globally
2. Work with industry stakeholders to support yards globally, including in non-OECD countries, to achieve EUSRR compliance – increasing actual capacity on the EU list
3. Continue development of the wider Alang area – where around 29% of the world’s tonnage is sent for recycling
4. Actively support the Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative scale-up work and raise the profile of transparency
5. Identify Maersk’s role in decarbonising the global steel value chain by leveraging ship recycling volumes in the long term

Setting the bar in responsible ship recycling

All Maersk vessels are recycled in accordance with the Maersk Responsible Ship Recycling Standard (RSRS). This standard is based on a strict interpretation of the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) regarding health, safety and environmental issues, and goes beyond HKC in key areas including anti-corruption and labour and human rights.

Sustaining transformation in Alang

We have to date recycled 16 vessels in six yards in Alang, India, where around 29% of the world's tonnage is sent for recycling. Our engagement has transformed the local industry, and more than 90 yards have voluntarily invested to be compliant with The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC).

Impact studies of our investments in Alang indicate that the yards recycling our vessels perform on par with yards categorised as responsible recycling facilities elsewhere in the world. We also continue to support local communities by improving access to health.

You can read more about our work in Alang in our Sustainability Report 2021.

Growing demand for green steel

Steel is a core engineering and construction material, but the steel industry is among the largest emitters of CO2. Many stakeholders are joining forces to find ways to develop steel with less impact.

We predict steel-scrap from large vessels will increasingly be seen as a viable raw material for producing green steel. We will engage with shipping industry stakeholders to better understand the global steel value chain, and how we can play a role in its decarbonisation.