Waste transport story of M/S Onyx (former C Express) soon over

After years in the Vasa harbour, the former passenger ship Onyx can now leave. At least the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) will no longer prevent it. Two years ago SYKE issued a transport ban on Onyx, in those days still known as C Express, because there was reason to suspect that the owner intended to get the ship scrapped. The owner had not applied for a waste transport permit. Tomorrow the Finnish Marine Administration will carry out its own inspection. Then the ship will probably leave the harbour.

The ship has previously been known as Fennia, Casino Express, and C Express. A few weeks ago it was renamed, the present name is Onyx. The former Finnish owner RG Line sold the ship two years ago to Attar Construction, a company registered in the island state St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean Sea. The new flag state of the ship became St. Kitts and Nevis. The actual home of the company is in India.

No reason to continue the transport ban

In summer 2007 there was reason to suspect that the new owner intended to get the ship scrapped, and SYKE classified it as waste. As the owner had not applied for a waste transport permit, a transport ban was issued. Attar Construction has now proved that the ship will be used for freight purposes. Thus there was no longer reason to continue the transport ban. Last summer, when SYKE had received sufficient documents on the future use for as  cargo vessel, it decided to lift the transfort ban

The departure of M/S Onyx from Vasa was delayed by repairs of the machinery and other equipment. Last winter, towards the spring when the frozen pipe system of the vessel began to thaw, some pipes were broken, and the leakage damaged machines and electric equipment in the machine room. The equipment has now been repaired, and a test on the sea proved that the ship is seaworthy. The Finnish Marine Administration has confirmed that the safety requirements are met.

Onyx will be used as tíme charter vessel

The history of M/S Onyx is colourful. It started as the so far largest passenger ferry between Turku and Stockholm. Later, when it operated between Vaasa and Umeå, it ran aground several times. The owner had difficulty in selling the ship, and when it eventually was sold, the new owner made in the next two years several different plans for its further use. For example, there were plans to convert it into a casino ship or to use it for accommodation for workers who build artificial islands along the coast of Dubai. According to the approved plan, the ship will be use for time chartering. This means that the leaseholder pays for freight service according to time. The freighted material and the routes will be determined by the leaseholder, International Shipping Bureau in Dubai.

The case provoked discussion on scrapping of ships

The turns of events around M/S Onyx have provoked a lively discussion on the practises of ship scrapping. The major part of old ships are owadays scrapped in the three states of the Indian peninsula – India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

”In those countries it is customary that a ship is ran into the beach during the high tide and scrapped there. The working conditions are poor and little atention is paid to environmental issues. Sickness and accidents as well as releases of oil and other hazardous waste into water, into air and onto the beach are side effects of scrapping. On the other hand, scrapping is an efficient means to recycle steel and other materials. Bangladesh gets the major part of its steel from scrapped ships. Furniture and other equipment from the ships are sold in stands near the scrapping place”, says Risto Saarinen, leading expert at SYKE.

Waste transport from country to country is regulated by the EU regulation on waste transport and the Basel  Convention which is administrated by the UN. According to these legal acts, a due permit is needed for waste transport, and no hazardous waste may be exported for treatment outside the OECD region. The International Maritime Organization IMO is working for a new convention which will more comprehensively take into account the environmental and occupational health issues. Until the new convention is implemented, scrapping in unsatisfying conditions will continue, especially in countries of low living standard.

More information

Mr Risto Saarinen, leading expert, Finnish Environment Institute, 
phone +358 400 148 704, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi

Mr Esa Nikunen, department manager, Finnish Environment Institute, phone +358 40 504 5175, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi

Ms Sirpa Pellinen, chief information officer, Finnish Environment Institute, phone +358 40 740 2754, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi