IMO ship recycling rules set for 2025 enforcement

According to Pouria Kolivand, Permanent Representative of the Ports and Maritime Organisation of Iran to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the implementation of the convention heralds a new era in ship recycling practices. The Hong Kong Convention, adopted in 2009, establishes comprehensive global regulations for safe and environmentally responsible ship dismantling. The IMO has spent over two decades preparing the regulatory framework, with initial guidelines dating back to 2003.

Kolivand noted that under the convention, all ships reaching the end of their operational life must carry an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM), which is subject to inspection and approval. This inventory is a prerequisite for initiating the recycling process. In addition, authorised recycling facilities must prepare a Ship-Specific Recycling Plan for each vessel. This plan must detail all recycling procedures and outline how hazardous materials will be managed safely.

The convention assigns clear responsibilities to shipowners, shipbuilders, flag states, port states, and recycling-state governments to ensure ship dismantling is carried out in a safe, hygienic, and environmentally compliant manner.

To support implementation, the IMO has adopted several key technical guidelines, including:
•  2011 Guidelines for the Development of the Ship Recycling Plan
•  2012 Guidelines for Safe and Environmentally Sound Ship Recycling
•  2012 Guidelines for the Authorisation of Ship Recycling Facilities
•  2012 Guidelines for the Survey and Certification of Ships
•  2023 Guidelines for the Development of the Inventory of Hazardous Materials
•  2024 Interim Guidance on Harmonised Implementation of the Hong Kong and Basel Conventions

The enforcement date was officially set in June 2023, following the accession of Bangladesh and Liberia and the fulfillment of all entry-into-force criteria. Currently, around 90 percent of global ship recycling occurs in five countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan, and Turkey. Of these, Bangladesh, India, and Turkey are parties to the convention.

The IMO-Norway joint project SENSREC, launched in 2015 in Bangladesh, has significantly improved the country’s environmental standards, occupational safety, workforce training, and legal and technical infrastructure, facilitating its accession. Kolivand emphasised that the convention’s implementation represents a major step toward sustainable maritime development by enhancing environmental safety, improving working conditions, reducing energy waste, and preventing global pollution. He called on shipping companies, port industry managers, regulatory authorities, and ship recycling operators to begin aligning their operations with the convention’s requirements well in advance of the enforcement date.