Britain Does Still Scrap Cargo Ships After All

UK – We have often commented on the appalling conditions endured by workers in some countries involved in the scrapping of ships and our piece last December which included video footage is often commented on. With most of the materials heading for the Far East and the cost of this practice overseas it means that most European countries have lost the bulk of the trade to the Asian nations. It is good to know however that there are still some UK based companies who specialise in the dismantling of vessels, oil and gas platforms and other marine structures.

Able UK Limited, who operate a number of riverside facilities on both the Humber and Tees, recycle reclaimed scrap metals from the ship decommissioning with a large proportion of the product going for export. Now the company has taken delivery of a Liebherr A 934 C HD Litronic Industrial Rehandler for their ship recycling operations at the Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre at Able Seaton Port, Hartlepool.

A long-standing Liebherr customer, Able UK has put its new specialist machine to work as the main materials handler on this impressive facility, loading, stockpiling and managing the scrap metal elements of the vessels as they are dismantled.

A 46 tonnes operating weight wheeled machine (pictured) the A 934 C HD Litronic is powered by a D 934 L turbo-charged and after-cooled Liebherr engine and it has a maximum load capacity of 4.90 tonnes at 15 metres radius using outriggers; maximum lift height is 16 metres.