By
Laura Hyde |
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has created a new webinar series designed to help shipowners and recycling facilities navigate the complex compliance requirements of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC), which came into effect on 26 June 2025.
The series aims to deliver practical guidance on the HKC’s three core pillars: inventory of hazardous materials requirements, final survey provisions for end-of-life vessels, and certification demands for ship recycling facilities. It addresses implementation timelines and helps all stakeholders understand their obligations.
The HKC is overseen by the International Maritime Organization and aims to ensure ship recycling does not pose unnecessary risk to human health or the environment. It requires the identification of the hazardous materials on a ship throughout its operational life and at the point of recycling.
Shipowners are now required to carry a certified Inventory of Hazardous Materials for the operational life of their ship. Compliance will be mandatory from delivery for newbuilds delivered post-June 2025, while existing ships will need to be certified during their next Harmonised System of Survey and Certification renewal survey, which must take place before 26 June 2030.
When a ship is decommissioned and sent for recycling, the HKC states it must undergo a final survey at a ship recycling facility in a country which is a signatory to the HKC. The facility must develop a ship-specific recycling plan for every vessel it processes.
The new framework will operate alongside existing regulations such as the regional European Union Ship Recycling Regulation and the broader Basel Convention, which will require shipowners and recycling facilities to coordinate across multiple compliance regimes.
“The HKC is a significant moment for global ship recycling standards, and the maritime industry needs expert guidance to navigate this complex new landscape,” said Jennifer Riley-James, lead regulatory specialist at LR. “This webinar series delivers the practical knowledge and regulatory insight that ship owners, operators and recycling facilities require to achieve full compliance while maintaining operational efficiency.”
Find out more and watch the webinar series on Lloyd’s Register’s dedicated website.