Ship recycling operations have resumed at Pakistan’s Gadani Ship Breaking Yard after an eight-year suspension, with seven vessels arriving for dismantling, according to local media reports.
The resumption follows efforts by the National Logistics Corporation (NLC), together with other government agencies, to revive one of South Asia’s largest ship recycling hubs and strengthen Pakistan’s maritime and steel recycling industries.
The reopening of Gadani is expected to boost the domestic supply of recycled steel scrap, an important raw material for Pakistan’s steel industry, while supporting employment and industrial activity, the reports said.
Local media reported that the government has launched a modernization program to align Gadani’s facilities with the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships and International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards. The ship recycling sector has also been granted formal industrial status to encourage investment and sustainable development.
As part of the upgrade, nine of Gadani’s 16 ship recycling yards have already been modernized and approved under the Hong Kong Convention, while the remaining yards are undergoing inspection.
The government also plans to establish a dedicated Treatment, Storage and Disposal (TSD) facility for the safe handling and disposal of hazardous waste generated during ship recycling operations.