Circular Maritime Technologies International ship dismantling

For years it has been known that a solution is needed to process large ocean-going vessels at the end of their lives in a sustainable and safe manner. Always less responsible alternatives were more attractive due to the much lower costs. The Dutch startup CMT International is going to change that.

In fact, CMT International is developing a pioneering solution to dismantle ocean-going vessels in a circular, safe and competitive way. In the fourth quarter of 2024, CMT and technology partner Huisman from Schiedam will test the first prototype of the wire saw, the key component of the innovative technology. After that, CMT and a consortium of partners and investors will develop the first yard on which actual ships can be dismantled. The development of the solution is made possible by the support of leading investors such as Sojitz Corporation and Jansen Recycling, with funding from the European Union’s Opportunities for West grant.

With this development, CMT offers a solution to the controversial practice of “beaching” ships in Asia, whereby ships are scrapped under dangerous and polluting conditions. Moreover, CMT’s solution provides a crucial element for making steel production more sustainable, namely high-quality clean scrap. By automating dismantling, speeding up and reducing the use of labor, the process becomes circular, safe and competitive. This makes it possible to efficiently extract high-grade steel scrap from ships in accordance with strict European recycling standards.

In the coming years, a large supply of seagoing vessels that need to be dismantled is expected. For example, the large cargo ships that were built in response to the global economic growth of the 2000s and are reaching the end of their useful lives. However, there is a lack of yards that meet the international environmental and safety regulations required for sustainable and safe ship recycling.

In the meantime, the global steel industry has set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and is working to decarbonize the steel production process. The industry aims to switch from the conventional blast furnace method to an alternative method using electric arc furnaces by 2030. This will reduce CO2 emissions by about a quarter. High-grade steel scrap is a crucial element for this process, but there is a severe shortage of it worldwide.

Together with its technical partners and financiers, CMT International stands for a circular revolution in ship dismantling. A transition where the first tangible results will be visible in 2024