Laieta & MV KINGDOM in Indian Waters

Laieta has arrived outer port anchorage at Alang. She will be beached within the next two days. Shreeji Shipping is the Indian buyer for the toxic ship. Efforts are on to beach it without declaring it to the Customs and GPCB and AERB. This is a crime and in violation of the Supreme Court order dated 6th September, 2007.

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) named 'LAIETA" built in 1970 left
Spanish European waters for the scrap yards in Alang beach and has
reached Indian waters. The export of hazardous wastes laden ships for
demolition is prohibited under the Basel Convention. The departure of
this vessel from Spanish Ports without pre-cleaning in the country of
export is illegal under the international law, European law and under
the Indian domestic law.

It is for this reason that some 90 ships are languishing at Alang
seeking the permission from the Supreme Court of India where the
matter is being currently being heard.

The share of LNG in the gas trade accounts for almost 24% of the
total. In 2007, the international trade in liquid form accounted for
374.3 106 m3.

Japan retained its position as the world's leading LNG importer with
145.4 106 m3, or 38.8% of all imports, followed by Korea with 57 106
m3 (15.2%), Spain with 41.2 106 m3 (11%) and the U.S.A., which reached
a record high with 35.7 106 m3 (9.5%).

It has been 38 years since Spain has built an LNG carrier. The world
LNG tanker fleet consisted of 254 vessels at the end of 2007. The
Hassi R'Mel, the Laieta and the Hoegh Gandria did not unload any cargo
during the year as well as twelve other LNG tankers that were
delivered in 2007.


MV KINGDOM is a Finnish ship is the fastest ferry in the world. Global fuel price hike forces owners to sell MV Kingdom; The ship requires fuel worth Rs25lakh per day

Since the inception of the Alang shipbreaking yard in 1982, a number of vessels have been scrapped here, including the controversial Blue Lady.

Now, the world’s fastest passenger-cum-conventional ferry ship has sailed in. Interestingly, it is the unbearable global fuel prices that have compelled the owners of the ship to sell it.

GTS Finnjet, built in 1977 and later renamed Motor Vessel (MV) Da Vinci and MV Kingdom since it has reached the scrapping yard, is the fastest ship in the world. However, due to its enormous speed, Kingdom also guzzles fuel in good quantum.

Thus, for its owners the ship had become a headache in balancing income and expenses.

GTS Finnjet was a cruise ferry, built in 1977 by Wartsila Helsinki, Finland for Finnlines to ply between Finland and Germany. At the time of her delivery, Finnjet was the fastest, longest and largest car ferry in the world, and the only one powered by gas turbines.

She is still the fastest conventional ferry as of 2008, with a recorded top speed of 33.5 knots.

Finnjet has remained out of service since 2005, laid up in Baton Rouge, Freeport and Genoa. Although she was purchased by Club Cruise in November 2007 and renamed GTS Da Vinci in January 2008 for rebuilding into a cruise ship, the ship was sold for scrap in May 2008 and named MV Kingdom.

Jeckon International, Liberia sold Kingdom to Rishi Ship Breakers at Alang and she has completed her final voyage from Jeddah port, arriving at Alang on June 13th. According to port sources, she beached in plot no. 109 in Alang on 19th June.

Kingdom weighs 15,500 metric tonnes, with a capacity of 3,500 passengers and 325 cars. At the time of her last professional voyage, there were 178 crew members aboard.

Generally ships travel at the speed of 10 to 20 sea nautical miles, but Kingdom boasts the speed of 33.5 knots. However, to generate this extra speed, she was consuming 45 tonnes fuel every day.

According to sources, including marine diesel, lubricant oil and other fuel she requires to run her voyage at the fuel cost of Rs25 lakh per day. The ship breaker has purchased Kingdom for Rs40 crores.