This is to inform you that the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 (Ship Recycling Convention or Hong Kong Convention) will enter into force on 26 June 2025.

Bangladesh and Liberia ratified the convention on 26 June 2023 and the total number of contracting States to the Ship Recycling Convention has reached 22, representing 45.81% of the world merchant shipping tonnage with the maximum annual ship recycling volume being 3.31% of the combined tonnage of the ratifying States, which satisfies the condition of entry into force threshold of 15 States, representing 40% of the world merchant shipping tonnage with the maximum annual ship recycling volume being not less than 3% of the combined tonnage of the ratifying States.

The Ship Recycling Convention was adopted in 2009 in order to ensure safety in labour and environmental protection during ship recycling activities. For ships contracted for construction on or after 26 June 2025, on which the Ship Recycling Convention enters into force, development and maintenance of Part I of the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM), which identifies the amount and location of hazardous materials onboard a ship, will be required for all ships over 500GT. Part I of the IHM for existing ships, contracted for construction before 26 June 2025, will need to be developed not later than 5 years (or by the time of recycling) after the entry into force of the Convention. Also, after 26 June 2025, all ships which are applied the convention will be required to be recycled in the authorized Ship Recycling Facilities operating under the jurisdiction of a Party.

ClassNK has been issuing Statement of Compliance (SOC) for Part I of the IHM developed in preparation for the incoming Convention. Meanwhile, SOC will need to be converted into international certificates taking into account the entry into force of the Convention. Additional information regarding surveys and international certificates upon the entry into force of the Convention will be announced through further issuance of ClassNK Technical Information.

Details about ClassNK services related to the Ship Recycling Convention can be found on the following website. ClassNK also offers "PrimeShip-GREEN/SRM" service to facilitate IHM development.
https://www.classnk.or.jp/hp/en/activities/statutory/shiprecycle/index.html

(To be continued)