First custom recycling shipyard opens

Built at the Port of Frederikshavn in Denmark, the 290,000m2 recycling shipyard consists of a purification plant with two large 2,500 cubic-metre storage tanks, where rain water from the area will be cleaned for possible impurities; a ship ramp for hauling vessels with a length of up to 294m; and an area for landing of offshore installations of up to 50,000t.

The shipyard will be managed by Modern American Recycling Services (M.A.R.S.), whose European arm has an ambition of turning Frederikshavn into a centre of green recycling of vessels and offshore installations.

Mikkel Seedorff Sørensen, CEO at the Port of Frederikshavn, said: “We are proud to have M.A.R.S. come to Denmark and the foreign minister to Frederikshavn.

“We are excited to show the enormous potential, which the municipality and the port have, and we are sure that our partnership with M.A.R.S. will create a ripple effect – both outside the region’s boundaries and beyond the country’s boundaries.”

M.A.R.S. Europe expects to recycle 200,000t of processed steel a year and one of the first major tasks will be the recycling of the platforms Tyra East and Tyra West.

Due to the shipyard being custom built from scratch, it has been possible to incorporate and prioritise safety, sustainability and environment as key qualities in the facility.

Activities are expected to start in October 2019.

By Rebecca Jeffrey