MSC Napoli recycling project This was especially true of Harland and Wolff's first modern ship recycling project. The MSC Napoli was a casualty. Bunker oil had contaminated large areas of the structure, giving rise to potential contamination in unexpected places. The MSC Napoli became infamous for the Whisky Galore- type plundering of its cargo, including BMW motorcycles, while on a beach in Lyme Bay. However, it is now widely accepted that the actions taken over the vessel's fate were correct and appropriate. In distress and abandoned after suffering hull cracking in the location of the engine room during windstorm Kyrill, the Secretary of State's Representative had the vessel deliberately beached to prevent wider environmental impact. The ship was split forward of the engine room bulkhead and the forward section was taken to Harland and Wolff Belfast for recycling in August 2007 after a series of environmental impact assessments had been carried out, including one regarding the transfer of invasive species from Lyme Bay to Belfast Harbour. Once safely behind the dock gate of H& W's massive 556 metre- long by 93 metre- wide dry dock, the clean- up operation began in earnest. The first couple of weeks were taken up with inspections, verification and validation of the status against operational procedures and risk assessments. Harland and Wolff offers the ' Holy Grail' of ship recycling: a dry dock. This physical barrier between the recycling project and the surrounding environment ensures that, even in the case of an unexpected event, contaminants cannot escape. Irrespective of the standard of sound procedures, safeguards and equipment, beach, pier or slip deconstruction cannot offer this level of assurance. Ship and offshore structure recycling, a case study Alan Haley, Project Manager, and David McVeigh, Sales and Marketing Manager Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries Limited ' In the event of a marine accident such as that which happened to MSC Napoli, accurate drawings and/ or a 3D model of the vessel are prime tools for ensuring a safe and efficient response...' Below: Recycling of MSC Napoli. Photograph courtesy of Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries Limited. AVEVA PIPELINE | 2010 Issue 2 | Page 33

The remaining ballast water was removed and taken for treatment. The vessel was decontaminated, area by area, under strict access and handling procedures. The waste stream was monitored by Environmental Consultants, Golder Associates ( UK) Ltd and the local Environment Agency, who audited the paper trail from the vessel to reuse, processing or disposal in a certified landfill. This process took 4- 6 weeks. The deconstruction of the vessel was achieved by removing sections of the structure down to the dock floor using dockside and gantry cranes. This assessment was carried out by H& W's structural engineers, both on the original plans and verified on site before execution. Much use was made of heavy machinery to minimise the direct contact of personnel with the vessel. This opened up a series of work- fronts to reduce the structure down to the 5' by 2' by 2' pieces suitable for the recycling plant. The non- ferrous materials, motors, cables, etc., were isolated, stockpiled and collected for recycling. The material obtained from the MSC Napoli included 11,000 tonnes of steel, 150 tonnes of oily water, 50 tonnes of waste cargo and 2,000 tonnes of consolidated, hazardous material. Cost and risk can be reduced by reuse of design information The opportunity to use technology to reduce cost and risk in the recycling of MSC Napoli was lost, due to the unavailable data and the condition of the vessel. However, if considered and established early, there are many ways design information can assist in the deconstruction process. A comprehensive 3D model, with information on all hazardous material identified, would have been invaluable. It would also have enabled an informed and controlled deconstruction sequence that would have been more efficient and safer. The good news is that ships are inherently very recyclable entities; the hulls are generally steel and the equipment contains expensive noble materials such as copper and bronze. However, deconstruction of ships is a balancing act between the valuable recyclable materials and the contaminants that must be properly controlled. The more accurate the information provided in advance of deconstruction, the lower the risk in recycling and, potentially, the better the return for the owner at the end of the vessel's life. Having a record of the volume of materials ( such as steel, copper or bronze) used in the construction and outfitting versus the ' built- in' contaminants ( PCBs, oils, fire detector heads, and so on) is the ' must-have' starting point to establish the vessel's ' Green Passport'. This should be maintained from commissioning and throughout the vessel's life, listing modifications and upgrades. An accurate knowledge of contaminants and their location will lessen the potential of accidental release to the environment during routine operation, repair, conversion and recycling. This not only enhances environmental protection, but also protects the health and safety of the ship's crew and of shipyard workers, and reduces the legal liability of the owners. In the event of a marine accident such as that which happened to MSC Napoli, accurate drawings and/ or a 3D model of the vessel are prime tools for ensuring a safe and efficient response. Such data also assist in the development of the deconstruction plan. Environmental requirements In the case of the MSC Napoli, it was extremely fortunate that no environmental incidents or injuries occurred. This was mainly due to the strong management, sound procedures and excellent equipment and facilities at Harland and Wolff. The environmental and human consequences of this casualty could have been dramatic, and unnecessarily exacerbated by the lack of vessel information. The cyclic nature of the marine industry gives rise to some unusual and unexpected developments. The H& W Black Squad performed ship scrapping over 100 years ago but, as the developed world saw increases in working, social and environmental standards, these projects migrated toward the developing nations. Now, due to increased social, human and environmental considerations, the circle is being completed and ship recycling might return to Europe on a greater scale. Modern owners with end- of- life vessel liabilities generally have no alternative but to use traditional beach- breaking solutions, with the inherent environmental and human impact. However, the pressure is on from ship managers, shareholders, NGOs and governments to find an alternative. The UK government department, DEFRA, established a set of guidelines that effectively set a challenge to industry to step up and offer a transparent, environmentally sound and socially responsible solution. Harland and Wolff were the first to answer that call and obtain a Waste Management Licence for Ship and Offshore Unit recycling based on the newly published standard. Recycling of MSC Napoli. Photograph courtesy of Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries Limited. Page 34| AVEVA PIPELINE | 2010 Issue 2