LR Greenlights Canadian Ship Recycling Facility’s Standards Compliance

January 4, 2024

(Left to right) Darren Webster, Vice President, RJMI and Laura Donahue, Professional Services Manager, LR (Credit: Lloyd’s Register)

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has certified Nova Scotia recycling facility, R.J. MacIsaac (RJMI), according to the requirements of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.

RJMI has become first Canadian facility to be issued a Statement of Compliance (SoC) to the Hong Kong Convention for international ship recycling standards, which is scheduled to enter into force in June 2025.

RJMI was required to demonstrate that its environmental protection, workforce safety and emergency preparedness systems surpass the stringent conditions of the convention. LR also certified that the company is operating according to its own environmental, social and corporate governance policies.

Adopted in 2009, the Hong Kong Convention is overseen by the International Maritime Organization and aims to ensure that ship recycling does not pose unnecessary risk to humans or the environment. It concerns the safety and environmental conditions at ship recycling facilities and the hazardous materials on the vessel being recycled.

Hakan Erkal, a senior surveyor at LR’s Dartmouth, Nova Scotia office, who worked closely with RJMI on the project, said: “As an industry first for Canada, RJMI has shown real commitment to ensuring the high standards of safety adhered to at its facilities are in line with those required by this international Convention. With the entry into force of the Hong Kong Convention now less than two years away, it is encouraging to see yards like RJMI seeking certification to these requirements."

Boyd MacIsaac, RJMI president, added: “Our focus on continuous improvement in safety, environmental protection and efficiency is the reason we are getting these international certifications. We are determined to remain the leading green marine ship recycler in Canada. Further, meeting ever-exacting international standards for safety, environmental protection and efficiency allows us to compete not just in Canada but abroad.”

RJMI has deconstructed a variety of vessels including the Deep Panuke Offshore Gas Production Platform, and Canadian government vessels ranging from warships to ferries at its Sheet Harbour facilities in Nova Scotia. It is currently disassembling and recycling the former CCGS Hudson.