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LR ISSUES �GREEN PASSPORT�
Thursday, 04 November 2004
UK-based classification society Lloyd�s Register says that it has verified the world�s first �Green Passport� in full compliance with the International Maritime Organization�s (IMO) Guidelines on Ship Recycling.
The LNG carrier Granatina, operated by Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (STASCo) is a new LNG carrier, delivered in 2003 by Korean yard Daewoo.
LR says the verification was the result of several months of collaborative effort between STASCo�s technical management, the ship�s crew and Lloyd�s Register.
The Green Passport, as defined by the IMO guidelines, is a document which contains an inventory of all the materials onboard a ship which may be hazardous to human health or to the environment which should accompany the ship throughout its operational life. The Green Passport is to be passed by the owner to the ship recycling yard at the end of the ship�s life, to enable the yard to formulate a safe and environmentally sound way of breaking the ship.
�STASCo�s commitment to preserving the environment and to observing best practice in this area of ship operations was amply demonstrated by the level of knowledge and technical assistance it provided to us while preparing the necessary documentation for the Green Passport,� says Alan Gavin, Lloyd�s Register�s Marine Director. �The dedication and competence of Granatina�s master is to be recognised and commended, as he provided the data for the Green Passport from information available to him on the ship, including plans, documentation from the builder and suppliers and classification certificates issued by Lloyd�s Register.�
Phil Lewthwaite, STASCo�s LNG Fleet Manager, says: �While we at STASCo understand the benefit of the Green Passport for ensuring the safe disposal of the ship at the end of its life, we also recognise that there are benefits to be gained from having access to a definitive list of the hazards onboard the ship for all those involved � ourselves as operators, our crew and Lloyd�s Register as classification society. This awareness, combined with the appropriate management systems, helps us to minimise the risks we have identified.�
The process involved submission of documents and material specifications to Lloyd�s Register for appraisal, leading to the formulation of a draft Green Passport. A survey was then held onboard the vessel while discharging in Portugal to verify the contents of the Green Passport against the vessel. Upon satisfactory completion, the document of compliance and the Green Passport were issued by Lloyd�s Register and added to the vessel�s records. Granatina is now able to proudly display these documents in its survey records. To ensure proper maintenance, the vessel will be subject to annual verification of the Green Passport concurrent with its normal annual surveys.
�We believe that this early success demonstrates to all concerned that it is indeed possible to make concrete progress in implementing the IMO Guidelines on Ship Recycling,� says Mr Gavin. �In doing so, genuine benefits to the safety of the ship and a reduction in the owner�s risks can be realised, in addition to achieving the stated aims of safeguarding workers at recycling yards and protecting the environment.�
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