PRESS
RELEASES
25-Oct-07 - Able UK Ltd
NOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AT LAST
‘Now we can at last start to establish the Tees Valley as world-class centre for the marine and renewable energy industries of the Twenty First Century.’
That was how Peter Stephenson, Chief Executive of Able UK, summed up the news that, the company has secured approval from Hartlepool Council for its proposals to develop its TERRC (Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre) facility at Seaton Port, Graythorp, as the biggest dry dock in the world, opening up huge opportunities to attract international contracts, together with many hundreds of jobs and millions of pounds of investment.
A meeting of the Council’s Planning Committee today approved a series of applications from Able UK for the construction, repair, refurbishment and decommissioning of all types of ships, vessels and other craft, and for the manufacture of wind turbines.
The applications also covered a variety of other works including the construction and refurbishment of quays, the construction of a cofferdam and new dock gates, the installation of a railway track, construction and operation of metal recycling facilities and the erection of industrial and warehouse buildings.
Today’s decision marks a major step forward in Able’s efforts, dating back over four years, to develop TERRC and Mr Stephenson today made clear that, whilst he was pleased that the Committee had given approval, he believed that what he described as ‘a sustained campaign of scaremongering, distortion and misrepresentation’ had proved costly for both the company and the local community.
At the same time he paid tribute to the many organisations and individuals who had ‘supported us throughout this very difficult period and recognised the enormous opportunities offered to put our area at the forefront of modern technlogies in the enviromental field.’
Said Mr Stephenson “In many respects today is a cause for celebration because it means that at last we can move ahead with our plans to exploit the enormous potential of TERRC for a huge range of marine-related and renewable energy activities—and we aim to begin work as soon as possible on the works needed to clinch major construction contracts which can bring around 1,500 jobs to the area over the next two years.
“At the same time I feel a huge sense of regret—which I know is shared by all those working to attract employment and investment into Hartlepool and the North East as a whole—that this project has been delayed for so long by the activities of organisations and individuals who claim to care about the environment but in reality seem more interested in how many headlines they can grab than the wellbeing of local people and the North East region.
“Even at the very last moment, literally hours before today’s meeting, we have seen Mr Phil Michaels, a legal representative for Friends of the Earth, apparently seeking to delay matters still further by totally misrepresenting the reason for the deferment of a decision earlier this month, claiming that members of the Planning Committee wanted to await the outcome of the ongoing Planning Inquiry. That was simply not true and I believe his conduct and that of other Friends of the Earth representatives during this whole issue has been disgraceful and has severely tarnished the organisation’s reputation.
“As we have made clear on many occasions, the acitvities of the objectors—and the delays in the Council reaching a decision—have led to major costs for the company, both in terms of lost business and the costs we have incurred as a result of the Planning Inquiry into the first refusal of our plans by the Council—a decision which they did not seek to defend at the Inquiry.
“There has also been a high price for the community—in terms of the employment opportunities and millions of pounds of wages which have been lost and, I believe, the undermining of efforts to use the talents and skills of local people and bring new investment into the area.
“However, our task now is to move on as quickly as possible—to begin the major investment in upgrading the facilities at the yard and exploit the enormous potential of the largest dry dock in the world. It is a yard with a proud history—and we are confident it can now have a great future.
“We need to move quickly in order to ensure that we are in a position to enable work to begin on the major construction contracts in summer next year—and, of course, we will be in a position to begin work on the reclamation and recycling of the six vessels currently berthed at TERRC—including the four ships from the American National Defense Reserve Fleet.
“I hope that today marks a turning point and that from now on we can concentrate not on the very small minority who have hogged the headlines for so long but the overwhelming majority who want to see jobs and invstment coming into Hartlepool and the wider Tees Valley.”
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12-Oct-07 - Able UK Ltd
ABLE SPELLS OUT CONTRACTS-AND COSTS-AT STAKE
The Chairman of Able UK has today revealed that multi-million pound contracts for the construction of massive concrete sections for the new Tyne Tunnel and for building two of the biggest oil drilling rigs in the world will be lost unless Hartlepool Council gives the go-ahead for plans to develop the company’s Seaton Port yard at Graythorp by the end of the month.
Peter Stephenson said he believed it was vital that the public in Hartlepool and the rest of the region ‘were made fully aware that the responsibility for losing many millions of pounds of investment and hundreds of jobs will rest with the Council and its Members who have twice ignored the advice of their professional officers.’
He also revealed that the company would be ‘vigorously’ pursuing costs from the Council not only for the unnecessary public inquiry but also for the losses flowing from the Council’s failure to decide the new applications.
Members of the Council’s Planning Committee refused the company’s first applications on October 12th last year. On June 18th this year, they announced they would not be defending that decision at appeal. Mr Stephenson said “we helpfully made a new application to give the Council the chance to avoid the Inquiry and save everyone considerable costs. They avoided making a decision last week forcing us to proceed.
“Time after time the so-called ‘environmentalists’ try to claim that all we want to do at our TERRC (Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre) facility is scrap ships and dump huge amounts of waste into the Seaton Meadows disposal site. I want to make it crystal clear—THAT IS NOT TRUE.
“We have some key contracts available, including the manufacture of four 10,000 tonnes concrete sections for the new Tyne Tunnel and the construction of two large oil rig drilling platforms which will provide work for circa 1,500 people in the Hartlepool and Tees Valley area.
“The delays over the past four years have already inflicted a massive cost, and lost significant opportunities for the entire local economy. It would be a tragedy if yet further significant damage was caused because of the smears and distortion perpetrated by a tiny minority —and the failure of councillors to fulfil their duty to act in the interests of the overwhelming majority of local people and the town as a whole.
“We are now locked in a totally unnecessary inquiry where the Council on one hand have said they have no objections and, on the other hand, are refusing to take the decision that would have removed the need for it. This irresponsible behaviour has cost both sides a huge amount of time and money. Of course, we shall be claiming whatever reimbursement is open to us”.
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5-Oct-07 - Able UK Ltd
ABLE COMMENT RE: COUNCIL'S DEFERRAL DECISION
The decision by Hartlepool Councillors to further delay a decision on plans by Able UK for the development of its TERRC (Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre) facility at Graythorp has been described by the Company Chairman as ‘a failure to act in the interests of local people which will cost huge investment and job opportunities for the area.’
Peter Stephenson was speaking following the decision by the Council’s Planning Committee to defer a decision on proposals which would enable TERRC to be developed for a wide range of purposes, including the construction, repair, refurbishment and decommissioning of ships, vessels and other craft, the manufacture of wind turbines, construction of drilling rigs together with refurbishment of the existing dry dock (largest in the world) and construction of new deep quays.
Prior to the meeting, Mr Stephenson had made it very clear that timing was critical in clinching major construction contracts which would have brought £300million into the local economy and provided over 750 jobs over the next two years.
In October last year the Council’s Planning Committee refused similar applications from Able UK, but in June this year the Council withdrew its objections to the appeal. The Planning Inquiry into ABLE’s appeal against those refusals begins next Tuesday and Mr Stephenson says that, whilst he is very hopeful that the inquiry will rule in the company’s favour, the decision will come too late to avoid losing major business for the Region.
He explained “For the second time, Councillors were being advised by their own Officers, and now also by their independent consultants to approve the proposals. The independent consultants advised the committee that the proposals would not result in harm to either the human or wildlife environments – which is also the view of Natural England. Given that they had decided not to contest the appeal against their previous refusal, there can be no justification whatsoever for the failure of the Planning Committee Members to make a decision today on what surely must be amongst the most scrutinised planning applications there has ever been.
“Our Managing Director, in his presentation to the Committee, offered cooperation for the long-term benefit of the town – this has clearly been completely rejected.
“The Council was fully aware that it was imperative we received planning approval in order for us to begin large scale construction contracts next year—and that, if we did not receive planning approval in October then the work would be lost.
“Inevitably, if we have to wait until the outcome of the forthcoming Planning Inquiry, which probably will not report until early next year, these contracts—and with them the £50m investment and 750plus jobs they would bring to the area—will be lost.
“Today’s decision is all the more incomprehensible given that there has been a very full public consultation process during which any concerns could have been raised or relevant material produced. We firmly believe that the documentation produced by some objectors today bears no relevance to these applications and provides no justification whatsoever for the deferment of a decision. There has been a sustained campaign against us based on inaccurate information and scaremongering and it is completely unacceptable that councilors have relied on this to avoid making the decision.
"Their Lawyers advised the Councillors that they could not defer simply to pass the responsibility onto someone else which seems to be precisely what they have done. We believe the deferment was unlawful.
“Over the past four years a huge amount of attention has been concentrated on the issue of ship recycling, but that is just a relatively small element of the work we want to bring to TERRC…something in the order of 4 per cent in terms of turnover for the next four years.
“The potential contracts we have in the pipeline—and which are dependent on a positive planning decision on October—include the construction of oil and gas platforms and drilling rigs, as well as concrete tunnel segments, and wind turbine towers—and the recycling of redundant offshore oil and gas platforms which we have successfully and safely carried out at TERRC over many years.
“I only hope that, even at this stage, Members of Hartlepool Council Planning Committee will think again and make a clear and firm positive decision in the interests of local people, especially those who could gain much-needed and employment and the many local businesses that would benefit from the huge investment which would come from having the largest dry dock in the world.”
The company had hoped that work on contracts for steel and concrete construction projects would get underway by summer 2008, together with the start of the recycling of six vessels already berthed there, including the four redundant vessels from the American National Defense Reserve Fleet.
The vessels, the Caloosahatchee, Canisteo, Compass Island and Canopus arrived at TERRC in November 2003, but the company was unable to go ahead with work on recycling them following a court ruling against HBC stating that their previous planning permission allowing the recycling of ‘marine structures’ did not include ‘ships’.
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18-Jun-07 - Able UK Ltd
COUNCIL NOT TO CONTEST APPEAL
ABLE are pleased that Hartlepool Council have confirmed that they are not going to challenge ABLE’s appeal against the decisions by their Planning Committee to refuse three planning applications for new facilities for the construction and assembly of wind turbines, refurbishment of the existing dry dock, construction of new quays, construction, refurbishment and recycling of ships.
”Although the Council has no objections to the scheme, ABLE still does not have planning permission. We are exploring whether the Council will now grant permission so as to remove the uncertainties as quickly as possible” said Able UK Chairman Peter Stephenson. “ABLE will continue to act in a responsible way so as to save costs for the people of Hartlepool and bring additional long term employment to the town as soon as possible.”
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30-May-07 - Able UK Ltd
DISAPPOINTMENT OVER SHIPS CONTRACT—BUT APPEAL CONTINUES
The Chairman of Able UK has today announced that the company has renegotiated its contract with the United States Department of Transportation Maritime Administration for the recycling of vessels from the US Reserve Fleet at the company’s TERRC (Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre) facility at Graythorp.
Mr Peter Stephenson says that the company will not receive the nine other vessels scheduled to come to TERRC under the original terms of the contract but will still purchase the two part built ships and recycle the four ships which have been berthed at TERRC since November 2003.
He also revealed that the opportunity to recycle a redundant British Navy vessel had been lost because of the delays in gaining new planning approvals for development of TERRC—but stressed that the company remained committed to developing a world-class ship recycling facility and has lodged its appeal against Hartlepool Borough Council’s refusal of its plans to upgrade the facility and develop facilities for the construction of wind generation equipment. The appeal is expected to commence in September 2007 and is likely to take five weeks.
Said Mr Stephenson “Whilst we are pleased that we have been able to agree with United States Department of Transportation Maritime Administration that our contract for the recycling of the four vessels currently berthed at TERRC continues, it is disappointing that, after all the efforts of so many people, the opportunity to bring the additional work, which would have been generated through the other nine vessels, has been lost due to the delay.
“In addition the delay resulting from the decisions of Hartlepool Council’s planning committee last October means that we lost the opportunity to recycle the Royal Navy vessel HMS Intrepid—we understand that this work is likely to go to Merseyside.
“As we made clear at the time of the Planning Committee’s decisions we believe that it is of benefit to Hartlepool, the wider Teesside area—and indeed the whole of the UK—that we do not miss out on the opportunity to establish our area as a centre of excellence for both marine recycling technology and the development of wind power electric generation.
“We now understand that our appeal against the Planning Committee’s decisions will be considered in September and we are hopeful that we will have the appropriate planning permissions in place by the end of the year, to enable the start of ship recycling operations Early in 2008”.
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6-Nov-06 - Able UK Ltd
ABLE ‘DISAPPOINTMENT’ AS COUNCIL REFUSES TO THINK AGAIN
Able UK has today described as ‘very disappointing’ the decision by Hartlepool Councillors not to reconsider their refusal of the company’s plans for the development of its TERRC (Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre) at Graythorp.
Following this afternoon’s meeting of the council’s Planning Committee, Able UK’s Chairman and Chief Executive Peter Stephenson stressed that the company had given the authority details of numerous inaccurate statements made during the original meeting which voted to reject the company’s applications—and had given additional information about potential opportunities for bringing work to the yard.
He also revealed that since the original rejection of their plans Able had been inundated with expressions of support from across the region—including offers to organise a protest march in the town.
Said Mr Stephenson “It is very disappointing that Hartlepool Borough Council Planning Committee have not taken the opportunity to reconsider our planning applications for various activities at TERRC, which included refurbishing the dry dock to be used for construction of oil platforms, gravity base structures, shipbuilding, ship repairs and ship recycling works, as well as facilities for the construction of new wind turbines. This had the potential to create over 749 quality permanent jobs and benefits to North East Suppliers of around £50m per annum.
“At the original planning meeting on 12th October, despite Officers providing the Planning Committee with a comprehensive 177-page report, which contained significant factual information, and confirmed there were no objections from any Statutory Consultees--including the Environment Agency and Natural England, formerly English Nature--and provided a clear recommendation to approve the application, the Committee still discussed a number of topics that were both untrue and misleading.
“Following that meeting we wrote to the Chief Executive of Hartlepool Borough Council and the Director of Planning and detailed many of the inaccuracies that were mentioned by Councillors and Objectors at the meeting. We also provided additional information that we had not been able to provide at the time of the meeting due to reasons of client confidentiality. This additional information included additional jobs for construction work in the dry dock.
“We had hoped that Councillors who voted against the application would have taken the opportunity to realise the benefits and reconsider the application, hopefully indicating approval, which would have allowed the development works to commence, therefore providing a significant long-term benefit to the area.
“Since the Planning Committee’s initial decision we have been inundated with letters of support from individuals and companies from across the North East region, stating very clearly that they cannot understand why the Planning Committee did not approve the application.
“In addition, we have received an abundance of job applications and support from individuals offering to organise a protest march in Hartlepool to show support for our application.”
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12-Oct-06 - Able UK Ltd
ABLE PLEDGES TO APPEAL OVER TERRC PLANS REFUSAL
The Chairman of Able UK says that ‘it is in the interests of Hartlepool, the wider Teesside area—and indeed the UK as a whole—that we do not miss the opportunity to establish our area as a centre of excellence for marine recycling technology and the development of wind power.’
Mr Peter Stephenson, speaking after members of Hartlepool Council’s Planning Committee today refused applications for the development of the company’s TERRC (Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre) facility at Graythorp, made it clear that the company would be lodging an appeal.
The plans would extend the uses of the facility to allow for the construction, repair, refurbishment and decommissioning of ships, vessels and other craft and the manufacture of wind turbines. The company also wants to carry out improvements at TERRC including the construction and refurbishment of quays, the building of a cofferdam and installation of new dock gates.
Said Mr Stephenson “Obviously we are very disappointed that as a result of today’s decision we face a further delay in our plans for making full use of the potential for TERRC which is undoubtedly one of the best sites in Europe to meet the growing demand for environmentally acceptable facilities for marine recycling, whether ships or other structures such as oil & gas platforms.
“What should be remembered is that the Council’s own officers, as well bodies such as the Hartlepool Economic Forum, have stressed that this facility offers an opportunity to develop a world-class centre for an industry which is set to expand rapidly in the years ahead. We have the facilities, the skills and expertise to undertake this work—and it is an industry which the UK Government has made clear it wants to see established in the UK.
“We have been involved in the decommissioning of oil and gas platforms at TERRC for many years— and only a few days ago it was announced by BP that we have been awarded the contract to handling the work of dismantling and recycling the large North West Hutton topside & jacket. We want to use the high level of expertise we have developed in the company in both marine and land recycling in dealing with ships which, it should be pointed out, pose just the same challenges as dealing with oil and gas platforms.
“We will clearly have to consider the issues very carefully after the outcome of today’s meeting but one thing is clear…we will be lodging an appeal. There is a desperate need for world-class ship recycling facilities in the UK and the rest of Europe and there is overwhelming evidence that our facility can—and should—be developed to meet that need.”
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28-Jun-06 - Able UK Ltd
UPDATE ON TERRC PLANNING PERMISSION & WASTE MANAGEMENT LICENCE
Able UK Ltd is delighted that the EIS and Supplementary information submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council has enabled the statutory consultees to be in a position to withdraw their objections to the scheme.
The Environmental Impact Assessments have fully demonstrated to the satisfaction of the authorities that the proposals submitted for planning permission and waste management license (WML) will not create any significant detrimental effect on the environment.
The Planning Application is now in the final stages of the planning process and we look forward to an imminent planning meeting to hopefully obtain planning approval for the development work which will include the refurbishment of the largest dry dock in Europe and the provision of facilities for offshore wind turbine manufacture.
Once Planning Permission is granted this should be followed by the issuing of a Waste Management Licence by the UK Environment Agency. Additionally the proposals will be controlled under the auspices of the company’s ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards for which the company is already fully accredited for all its activities.
Planning Permission and the WML will trigger the commencement of work on the recycling of ships in a manner that provides the Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO), and the provision of the dry dock for construction contracts.
The TERRC facility will provide a major contribution to meeting ship recycling demands and places the North East at the forefront of this emerging sector. The development will lead to the creation of over 700 jobs making a very positive impact on the local economy.
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18-Mar-05 - Able UK Ltd
LICENCE APPLICATION ‘IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD’ FOR TERRC PLANS
Able UK says its submission to the Environment Agency of an application for a new waste management licence for its TERRC (Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre) site at Seaton Port Graythorp marks another important step forward in its plans for the continued development of the facility.
The Company’s Group Managing Director Martin Hopkins today welcomed the confirmation from the Environment Agency that it has now begun processing the licence application which is seeking approval for a wide range of activities to be undertaken at TERRC—including shipbuilding, ship repair and the recycling of both ships and offshore structures.
In January ABLE submitted a planning application to Hartlepool Borough Council for the TERRC development, which includes the construction of new quays, a cofferdam and dry dock gate and would also provide facilities for the manufacture of wind turbine towers and blades, as well as the assembly of turbine generator units.
Said Martin Hopkins “The waste management licence is obviously a key element in enabling us to move ahead with our proposals for TERRC. We welcome the fact that the Environment Agency, along with the Council, intends to fully consult on our proposals and we hope that as many people as possible will take the opportunity to discover the full facts about our plans—not least the conclusion of the very detailed Environmental Impact Statement, which has been prepared by international independent consultants, and confirms that the proposed developments will not have any significant impact on the local ecology.
“It is important to stress that the opportunity to create a world-class ship recycling centre is just one aspect of the opportunities if the application is approved. It will also enable ship and offshore construction and repair work in one of the biggest dry dock facilities in Europe, as well as boosting the opportunities for the Tees Valley to become a key centre for the rapidly developing renewable energy sector. The employment opportunities are very significant—in total the project could generate up to 700 jobs.”
The potential economic benefits were underlined recently by the Government. In its response to the House of Commons Environment Committee’s report on ship recycling the Government made clear its wish to see the establishment of high-quality ship recycling in the UK adding that ‘we believe that the UK has the skills base and expertise to operate such facilities safely and that such an industry can offer economic benefits to surrounding communities.’
The Graythorp facility was originally developed as a shipbuilding yard, with almost 500 vessels being built there between 1913 and 1963. Laing Offshore acquired the yard in 1969 and developed the site for the construction of large offshore structures and decommissioning work. ABLE purchased the facility in 1996 and have imported and recycled marine structures for many leading companies.
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17-Jan-05 - Able UK Ltd
ABLE SUBMITS PLANS FOR TERRC DEVELOPMENT
Able UK has confirmed that it has submitted what Chairman and Chief Executive Peter Stephenson described as 'a very substantial and significant' planning application to Hartlepool Council for the continued development and expansion of its TERRC (Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre) facility at Seaton Port, Graythorp, Hartlepool.
The application, which involves the construction of three new quays, a cofferdam and a dry dock gate, includes proposals for activities including shipbuilding, ship repair and recycling, together with facilities for the manufacture of wind turbine towers and blades, as well as the assembly of turbine generator units.
A detailed Environmental Impact Statement, prepared by international independent consultants and submitted with the planning application, confirms that the proposed developments would not have any significant impact on the local ecology.
Said Peter Stephenson “We have undertaken a massive amount of work on developing our proposals since the legal hearings which effectively halted our operations at TERRC over a year ago. It has taken over 12 months to complete the application and the environmental impact statement which shows just how carefully and comprehensively we have approached the task.
“Whilst a great deal of attention has surrounded our wish to develop the facility as a world-class centre for ship recycling, it is important to stress that this is just one aspect of the opportunities which will be available if we are able to carry out the proposals in this planning application.
“It will, for example, provide the chance for ship and offshore construction and repair work in what will be one of the biggest dry dock facilities in Europe, as well creating a major opportunity for the Tees Valley to become a key centre in the rapidly expanding area of wind power technology. Clearly there is the potential for creating very significant numbers of new jobs as the project develops.
“We are hopeful that the application will be considered positively by the Borough Council and that we can begin construction and operational activities early this spring.”
The Graythorp facility was originally developed as a shipbuilding yard, with almost 500 vessels being built there between 1913 and 1963. Laing Offshore acquired the yard in 1969 and developed the site for the construction of large offshore structures and decommissioning work.
Able UK purchased the facility in 1996 and have imported and recycled marine structures for many leading companies. In 2003 it was awarded a contract by the American Government's Maritime Administration (MARAD) for the remediation and recycling of 13 redundant vessels from the US Reserve Fleet. The first four vessels from the contract have been at TERRC since late 2003.
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11-Nov-04 - Able UK Ltd
TERRC UPDATE - SHIP RECYCLING WORKS
Dismantling Defunct Ships in the UK: Report to be Published 11th Nov 04
The UK Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has today published its report on dismantling defunct ships in the UK. Click here for a summary or download the full report in PDF format.
11-Nov-04 - Able UK Ltd
ABLE WELCOMES ‘VINDICATION’ IN MPS’ SHIP DISMANTLING REPORT
A high-powered report from MPs calling for the Government to support the development of a thriving UK ship dismantling industry has been welcomed as ‘a very positive vindication of the arguments we have been putting forward’ by the Chief Executive of Able UK.
Mr Peter Stephenson was speaking following the publication of the report from the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, into the dismantling of defunct ships in the UK. Their inquiry was sparked by the debate over Able’s contract for the dismantling of a number of redundant vessels from the US Reserve Fleet.
In their report the MPs argue strongly that there is a need for the UK Government and other national and international organisation to take urgent action to end the dismantling of vessels in ‘wholly inadequate’ conditions in a number of developing countries—and they argue that this country has ‘the potential to establish an industry in ship dismantling which can be done safely and offer economic benefits to the communities in which it is carried out.’
Said Peter Stephenson “That key message from the MPs sums up exactly the argument we have consistently put forward in arguing the benefits of the facility that we have developed at TERRC (Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre)—both in terms of ensuring that ships are dismantled in the safest conditions and under the best possible environmental conditions… providing valuable business and jobs for Hartlepool and the wider North East and also providing the Best Practicable Environmental Option.
“What is striking in the report is that it gives no credence whatsoever to the scaremongering tactics adopted by Friends of the Earth and others in their efforts to prevent any ship recycling activities at our TERRC facility.
“There are many positive aspects to the report—including their clear messages that health, safety and environmental protection must be the ‘most important consideration’ in deciding where a ship should be dismantled and that the Government should give a lead by ensuring that all Royal Navy and other state-owned vessels should be dismantled at UK facilities.
“Like the Committee we very much welcome the Government’s commitment to produce a ship recycling strategy and support their call for urgent action to eradicate the appalling practices where ships are literally rammed onto the beaches of developing countries and torn apart with no thought for the health of the workers or the consequences for the world environment.
“I think it is important to underline that Greenpeace, which has consistently campaigned on this issue, has recognised that our facilities do meet the highest possible standards—and in fact made that clear when we were bidding for the dismantling of the Brent Spar oil platform. This has been demonstrated for over a decade whilst we have been successfully decommissioning marine structures and when we had to meet the very high environmental requirements of the American authorities when we were prequalifying for work with MARAD (the American Maritime Administration)—and in fact we also meet all further requirements that have been introduced by international bodies since we were qualified for the contract.
“There are however some factual points raised in the report which do require clarification. It refers to the fact that there was ‘little interest’ from UK yards in bidding for the dismantling of HMS Intrepid. For the record, we have bid for that work on two occasions.
“The report also suggests that there may some doubt about whether our facility could handle the largest tankers. Again the facts are that we have carried out studies which show conclusively that TERRC is able to handle the largest ships.
“What is absolutely clear from this report is that those who have pedalled distortions and scare stories about our company, the standards of our facilities and the work we are seeking to bring to our region, now stand totally discredited. I hope that from now on we can move forward on the basis of facts rather than fiction—and a recognition that companies and work forces such as ours should be supported in our efforts to meet an urgent and important environmental challenge.”
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11-Nov-04 - Frank Cook MP
REPORT PROVES ‘WE ARE ABLE TO MEET RECYCLING CHALLENGE’
Stockton North MP Frank Cook says a report from an influential House of Commons Committee ‘demonstrates beyond any doubt that here on Teesside we really are ‘Able’ to meet the challenge of ship recycling—doing it safely, effectively and creating real jobs for local people.’
Mr Cook, whose constituency includes the headquarters of Able UK—the company whose contract to recycle redundant American vessels led to the inquiry by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee—said the findings of the report clearly supported the need for the type of facilities which the Teesside company had been developing and ‘exposes the cynical nonsense of those who boasted of their ‘green’ credentials but actually sought to undermine the efforts of those seeking the very best environmental solution to the thorny issue of ship dismantling.’
Said the MP “As someone who has consistently argued the case for protecting the environment for more that a quarter of a century, I was genuinely shocked by the antics of some organisations and individuals during the so-called ‘ghost ships’ saga. Apparently they were more interested in gaining cheap headlines based on blatant scaremongering, in total disregard of the facts.
“What I found especially reprehensible was that, whilst choosing to target a company seeking to tackle a very difficult job in a professional manner and to the highest environmental standards, they conveniently ignored the fact that the vast majority of vessels from the rich countries—including the UK and Europe—end their days on the beaches of the developing world where workers run the risk of injury and death and the environmental impact is equally horrific.
“I am delighted that my colleagues on the Committee have exposed the fallacy of those who mounted their cynical campaign against Able and have revealed the reality that, far from seeking to undermine the company, we should be supporting the development of a proper world-class ship recycling industry in the UK generally in on Teesside specifically.
“The Committee makes very clear their belief that this kind of work can be carried out safely and that it can bring economic benefits to the communities where it is based—and in the case of Able UK that means my constituents and other Teessiders who need the kind of jobs the company wants to provide if it is given the kind of support it deserves.
“Today’s report is a watershed in this debate—and I believe it shows clearly the tide is turning in favour of genuine commonsense and a real concern for the environment.”
The report will be posted on www.ableshiprecycling.com this morning.
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21-Apr-04 - Able UK Ltd
PLANNING PERMISSION - FABRICATION FACILITIES
Able UK obtained planning permission for two new fabrication facilities, purposely designed for the fabrication of wind turbine structures at TERRC.
6-Jan-04 - Able UK Ltd
COMPANY ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF NEW HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT PLANT
Able UK, the Teesside company at the centre of plans to dismantle a fleet of redundant US Navy ships, today announced details of a pioneering new £1.2 million plant to treat hazardous waste.
The Seaton Meadows landfill site in Brenda Road at Hartlepool, will be developed into a purpose-built facility capable of converting hazardous waste into “concrete blocks” of stable non-reactive material which can be disposed of in purpose built impervious cells.
The scheme, involving the conversion of existing buildings, has full planning permission and will be operational by July this year to meet a potential shortfall of treatment and disposal facilities within the UK.
It meets the requirements of the European Landfill Directive, introduced in 1999 to bring all European states in line with the best available landfill techniques.
One of the major impacts of the directive was the introduction of Prevention of Pollution Control Permitting to create national standards – some sites had been operating without containment liners which meant pollutants could leak into the environment. That can no longer happen.
The directive will also mean the end of co-disposal – landfilling hazardous waste with non-hazardous waste.
Another major problem facing the waste industry from this summer was that most landfill sites are opting to become non-hazardous which will would have left a major shortfall in the number of sites available. Pre-treatment will also become necessary and few suitable plants are available.
But the process at Seaton Meadows, the result of co-operation between Able, industry the government will provide solve these problems, in line with Best Available Techniques – the new industry standard.
Able’s environmental and waste manager, Ian Fenny said today: “The plant will in effect take hazardous waste and treat it to a point where it no longer poses the same hazards to the environment.
This process has been developed to work hand in hand with the European Directive and offers the wasted industry the much-needed option of meeting their obligations under the directive
“The facility will have a pre-treatment consolidation/solidification plant that will turn hazardous waste into a stable non-reactive material that will be disposed of in purpose built cells.
“These cells will be separate from the bio-degradable waste, making it possible to dispose of the stabilised hazardous waste without breaking the co-disposal requirements.”
The conversion work will create thirty construction jobs and twelve permanent posts once the process is underway.
If permission is finally given to dispose of the US fleet, the facility will be used to dispose of the small amounts of hazardous waste which may be involved.
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