A green ship recycling yard is on the cards at 34South in the Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone along South Africa’s west coast.
The planned facility is said to have geographical advantages for end-of-life ships rounding the Cape of Good Hope and eliminate the necessity to pay tolls through the Suez Canal.
This new yard will transfer vessels to an eco-friendly decommissioning facility for scrapping. Most ship recyclers in South Asia use bleaching, a method criticized for being highly polluting.
The 34South facility would have a ship lifting system which would help create economies of scale as it will be able to accommodate more than one vessel at a time.
The project will receive support from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa, also the largest shareholder for the yard. The government-owned development finance institution promotes economic growth and industrial development.