How to work with the Hong Kong Convention 17.03.2025 12:28IBICON Company has created this guidance paper to support shipowners’ decision-making in connection with recycling their end-of-life ships.
With entry into force on 26 June 2025, the IMO’s Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC) will be an important step towards a more sustainable ship recycling industry.
While the EU implemented the Ship Recycling Regulation No. 1257/2013 (EU SRR) in 2013 focusing on safe waste management and sustainable ship recycling, the HKC takes a global approach that will bring social values into focus by implementing the UN’s human rights principles. This will require ship recyclers and ship owners/managers to take responsible actions. With various regulations, guidelines, and recommendations in place, the process and decisions related to recycling have become complex.
This guidance aims to support shipowners to make informed decisions to ensure responsible and compliant recycling.
The Figure below summarizes the most relevant international and regional regulations which are further detailed in this paper:
The countries that have ratified the HKC, including the four largest recycling nations in terms of tonnage (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Turkey), are shown in blue in Figure below:
The 24 countries that have ratified the HKC are marked in blue. Ships sailing a flag that has ratified the HKC must have an IHM (Part I, II and III) and an onboard final survey before it can be issued with an International Ready for Recycling Certificate (IRRC). The ship shall be sent for recycling at a facility holding a Document of Authorization for Ship Recycling (DASR). Ships sailing a flag that has not ratified the HKC shall have a Ready for Recycling Statement before recycling in a facility of a HKC party.
Figure 3 illustrates the roles and responsibilities for the shipowner and the flag state (or a Recognized Organization (RO) acting on behalf of a flag states) related to IHM regulations for ships in operation:
A ship flying the flag of a HKC party must be recycled in a facility holding a Document of Authorization for Ship Recycling (DASR) from its competent authority.
The ship recycler shall prepare a ship recycling plan (SRP) based on input from the ship owner.
A shipowner shall support the recycler by providing sufficient ship-specific documentation (item 4 in Figure 4) that supports a safe and environmentally sound ship recycling process. The documentation necessary to compile the SRP, includes valid regulatory and statutory certificates, the IHM, and the following documents as found relevant:
General arrangement plan, capacity plan, shell expansion plan, fire control plan, trim and stability calculation, and light weight distribution or calculation table, midship section, construction profile (including longitudinal sections, deck, inner bottom and deckhouse), longitudinal and transverse bulkhead principal transverse sections, fore and aft construction, superstructures, accommodation plan, hydrostatic curve or table, deck piping system, GA of ventilators and air ducts, painting scheme, joiner works, engine room arrangement (if appropriate) and bilge piping system of pump room, pump room arrangement, engine room piping diagram, ballast piping and cargo piping diagram and manufacturers' finished drawings of major equipment.
Before ship dismantling can start, the ship recycling facility needs to report to its national competent authority(ies) the planned start date of the ship recycling and present an SRP. The authority then has the opportunity to review, approve, or deny the SRP.
The Figure below shows a step-by-step overview of the ship recycling process, outlining the roles of the ship recycler, the country of the ship recycler, the shipowner, and the flag state during approval and preparation stages:
Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) support IBICON, with experience gained from more than 6,000 ships, review and verify the IHM reports. The main aim is to ensure that ships are compliant. IBICON offers services for:
• IHM Part I approval and certification;
• Software for IHM maintenance, see IHM Manager;
• IHM Part II & III approval and Ready for Recycling certification;
• Training of Hazmat experts.
Details on the requirements of IHM, IHM maintenance, and ship recycling can be found on IBICON’s IHM and ship recycling topic page.
