On 26 June 2025, the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC) will officially enter into force. It marks a critical global shift in how ships are recycled, aiming to eliminate the historical image of unsafe and polluting shipbreaking yards.
With the Convention’s enforcement, two key documents become mandatory: the Document of Authorization to conduct Ship Recycling (DASR) for ship recycling facilities and the Inventory of Hazardous Materials Ready for Recycling Certificate (IRRC) for end-of-life ships. There is no grace period embedded within the HKC itself. From Day One, compliance is expected.
That said, practical implementation will vary. Competent authorities in each Party State will determine whether existing Statements of Compliance (SoC)—voluntarily issued by classification societies—can be used as a provisional basis for issuing DASRs. Some may accept these conditionally, pending further audits.
This flexibility is particularly relevant in countries like Bangladesh, and Pakistan, where several yards are still mid-way through infrastructure upgrades. For such yards, the 2012 MEPC.211(63) Guidelines allow for a DASR to be issued “subject to certain terms and conditions” if the yard is under construction or not yet fully operational. A follow-up inspection will then decide the DASR’s final status.
This transition will not be easy. A drastic initial reduction in available global recycling capacity is anticipated. But the long-term vision is worth the pain: safer working conditions, environmentally sound recycling, and alignment with the principles of a sustainable maritime economy.
For shipowners, recycling nations, and yards alike, the time to act is now. The industry stands at the threshold of transformation. Those who walk through the door will lead the future.
Marex Media