Ships Nostalgia banner

France, Norway, Blue Lady the saga continues

23K views 197 replies 54 participants last post by  Lksimcoe 
#1 ·
Maritime matters report Norway sale to Scrappers cancelled due to Toxic waste problems.

And that Star have broken a promise with the French made to enable her to leave Bremerhaven.

Paul (Applause)
 
#2 ·
Latest on the Norway

France's TV FR3 report that Star Cruises have cancelled the recent sale of NORWAY to Indian scrappers.
The reversal came from fears of potential legal action being taken against the company for breaking an
agreement to not sell the asbestos-laden ship for scrap when she was towed away from Bremerhaven last
year. Various environmental groups have recently put pressure on European nations for selling toxic ships
to Asian shipbreakers where standards are more relaxed. There are further reports that suggest the
Malaysian Government has been investigating the sale. (Applause)
The NORWAY, inactive since a fatal boiler explosion in Miami killed eight crew members in 2003, remains
at anchor off Port Klang, Malaysia.
 
#3 ·
I am involved with the ship demolition market and I can tell you that these TV and newspaper stories are very misleading.

According to demolition sources, the Norway has NOT been withdrawn from the market. She has been committed to a cash buyer who intends to scrap her. However, the cash buyer is also rumoured to have several trading offers on the table.

Phil
 
#4 ·
This from Fairplay Daily news. I would stress that market sources are still insisting that she will sail for demolition 'shortly'.

NORWEGIAN Cruise Line’s SS Norway is still at anchor off Port Klang, Malaysia, awaiting its final voyage to breakers. The owner - Genting subsidiary Star Cruises - is believed to be finding it difficult to secure a buyer in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The row over the proposed demolition of the French aircraft carrier Clemenceau at Alang scrapyard in India has discouraged prospective buyers. Environmental groups have threatened action if Clemenceau is scrapped because of the presence of asbestos onboard. The 1961-built Norway is said to contain 1,250 tonnes of material with asbestos content. Norway has been given a new name, Blue Lady, but Star Cruises declined to comment on speculation that the ship’s name has been changed to avoid attracting attention if and when it proceeds to a demolition yard.
 
#7 ·
France/Norway/Blue Lady

I have heard reports that this ship is on the move as we speak.

I was just wondering if anybody knows what Tug(s) are conducting the tow?

I know she is not going to bangladesh, so it looks like she is going to Alang. If the Indians don't ban her also (hopefuly they will)
 
#10 ·
Asbestos

Nice one Ruud.

It was the French Supreme Court that decreed Clemencaeu was a contaminated ship, because she has 75 tons of asbestos on board. As a result EEC law prevents her being sent to a non-EEC country as scrap. Chirac was forced to order her diversion to "French territorial waters" until the matter can be resolved.
This is a huge embarrassment to Chirac, as he is about to arrive in India on a state visit and the Indians are claiming that his action will result in 10,000 people being thrown out of work in Alang. I may be wrong, but I think that the Indians are unlikely to throw away this opportunity to obtain trade concessions from France by rejecting Blue Lady.
Blue Lady belongs to Star, the owners of NCL. As neither Malaysia or Norway are EEC members the Clemencaeu ruling does not apply. Chirac has no influence or interested in a heavilly modified ex CGT ship with up to 2,000 tons of asbestos on board. Even when the French Government owned her, they were happy to sell France to a Saudi arms dealer.

Fred (Thumb)
 
#11 ·
OK Fred that is a far enough comment.

Obviously to put but this ship back into service she will have to have 1 of 2 options to her power plant undertaken: 1. Completley strip her of the Steam Driven equipment and replace it with either Desiel Electric or a Gas Turbine System. 2. Total overhaul of the boilers and associated equipment.

No doubt she would have to have an inspection regards the Asbestos. But I belive from previous reports on other pages I have read that the Asbestos on this ship is safe.

Now there have been reports of a Dutch Business Man who wants to buy the ship as a floating Hotel and Confrence and he apparently tried to buy her when NCL had her laid up in Germany. There are several issues over this ships movments that are questionable, shoudl the US allowed it to leave Miami in the first place knowing that there was a strong posibility that the ship would not be repaired, Should Germany allowed it leave considering towing her to Port Kalang was closer to the sub cont Ship breaking yards.

But then you look at NCL who brought the United States and are thinking about restoring her? Ok the Norway did not break the Transatlantic record, but she is just as famous.

I don't know what other options are open to her and I don't know what her condition is like inside, but just from what I have seen from the exterior she still looks to be in bloody good condition for her age. But the Indian Ship Breaking Industry has just been given a major kick in the guts and no doubt now because of all the international attention over the French Aircraft Carrier is going force chages in the shipbreeaking industry world wide.

All ships have a use by date, I can accept that. But it with room on land decreasing perhaps there is a role for retired passenger ships to play as floating hotels?
 
#12 ·
Maritime Matters reported the following on 13 February:

"BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY) languishes at her Port Klang, Malaysia anchorage as environmentalists enlist government involvement to block the ship's delivery to either Indian or Bangladeshi breakers. The ship's asbestos content is under international scrutiny and now no buyers will come to the table to scrap her until the issue is resolved."
 
#13 ·
Re-engining

The increasingly unreliable turbine machinery of QE2 was replaced by diesel electric in 1986 at a cost of £100 million. The refit was based upon extending the life of QE2 by 25 years and it reduced her fuel consumption by 250 tons per day.
Those 25 years are almost over. Carnival have stated that they will fund the considerable costs required to enable QE2 to meet the new international safety regulations that come into force 2009/10. Carnival is a highly profitable company, Star struggle to break even. I do not think there is any possibility of Blue Lady being returned to operational use.
I also think that there is very little chance of United States returning to service. I think Star bought her in order to get another non-US built ship into the Jones Act coverage for their US subsidiary. The plan being to carry out a detailed study before saying "Sorry it is not possible to restore the United States." She would then be scrapped but the additional Jones Act ship would remain. The asbestos fuss seems to have blown a big hole in this plan.
Perhaps the two ships will become hotels, but the asbestos scare may rule that out. It is of course highly likely that most of the asbestos is the non-toxic white variety, but scientific facts like this are usually ignored by the folks who make a living out of green scares.
A repeat of the QE fire perhaps?

Fred
 
#14 ·
I was under the impression the United States was towed to Turkey & back in order to have asbestos removed, which would be a big hurdle out of the way for for present owners. However they make no moves what so ever to refurbish her, & in my humble opinion never will do so. There is only one foreseeable out come unfortunately for this fine vessel.
D (egg) avid
 
#15 ·
France/Norway/Blue Lady

Any body heard anything further about her recently. It seems to have gone all quiet about her again.

Did see on very short article, early last week that there was an organisation in Europe had applied to have the ship listed some sort Heritage Register? It did not name an organisation, I did hear that another enviromental organisation other than Greenpeace were also asking a few questions about her.

Just wondering, worries me that Star might be trying to do something behind everybody concerned back to get rid of the ship.
 
#16 ·
France/Norway/Blue Lady

Recived this information today.



A story in today's online edition of the Star newspaper reports that the Norway, former flagship of Norwegian Cruise

Line, has been sold to a Bangladeshi businessman for $12 million dollars. If true, this will be the second time the ship

has been sold within the past three months.

Back in January, the ship's owner, NCL-parent Star Cruises announced the ship had been sold and was headed for a

scrap yard in Chittagong. That plan took an unexpected turn when Star learned that it might be subject to significant

environmental-related fines if the ship was broken up because she still contained more than 3,000 tons of asbestos.

Environmental groups have for a long time been targeting the ship breaking activities in India and Pakistan claiming

that the largely manual process of scrapping a ship releases hazardous materials into the environment. Most recently,

they joined local groups to seek a court order in an attempt to block the scrapping of the former French aircraft carrier

Clemenceau.

Sources have indicated that fines related to the large amount of asbestos on board could range as high as $10 million.

Those of you that have been following this saga from the beginning may remember that sceptics claimed Star's

announcement that it was moving the ship from Germany to Asia last year to become part of a resort was nothing

more than a way for the company to dodge European environmental laws.

While the sale announced today has all the earmarkings of a sale for scrap, it is not clear how the new owner will

overcome the asbestos-related issues. Following the uproar in January, the Bangladesh Environment and Forest

Minister issued an order preventing the ship from entering Bangladesh territory.

It is possible, although unlikely, that the new owner will attempt to convert the ship into a hotel or resort facility. At

this point however, there is no indication that this is part of the plan.
 
#17 ·
Asbestos

The sensible thing would be for the EEC to set up environmentally sound asbestos removal services based at the main shipbreaking yards. That would not please Greenpeace and the like as it seems to me that the guys who run these organisations earn their salaries from bogus scare stories, not from the production of solutions.

Fred :rolleyes:
 
#18 ·
Asbestos

Removing asbestos is not a impossible task. I have seen it done, alright, it was a very big job but done none the less. Further, it was done without a great lot of fuss. Where I was involved it was a major industry with 6 boilers and steam lines of considerable lengths. It was costly and the company did have its own dump for it, covered, sealed, for ever. I am sure that all countries are capable of puting the procedures in place, do it and I am confident that the fuss will soon dissappear.
Jim B
 
#19 ·
it allready happens in this country and has been for a very long time just a few year ago the complete engine room of one of the rover class R F As was stripped of all asbestos, the big problem is the cost as usual owners dont want to pay out of the profits.

cheers tom (*))
 
#20 ·
tom nicholson said:
it allready happens in this country and has been for a very long time just a few year ago the complete engine room of one of the rover class R F As was stripped of all asbestos, the big problem is the cost as usual owners dont want to pay out of the profits.

cheers tom (*))

I know that the scale is much smaller but as part of the surveys re possible restoration of Manxman (see www.ssmanxman.co.uk) the quotation for removal of asbestos from engine room, boiler room and elsewhere is some £250,000

Bill
 
#23 ·
Norway / Blue Lady press release May 9th

A press report, dated today, states: Another asbestos-lined vessel is heading for the western Indian ship-breaking yard in Alang, the environmental group Greenpeace says. Passenger Blue Lady, ex Norway, with more than 900 tonnes of toxic waste on board, was banned from Bangladeshi breaking yards in February. The Indian government has not yet commented on the issue and a port officer at Alang said he had received no official information about the vessel.

Taken from Lloyds List 10/05.

Rushie
 
#24 · (Edited)
Ahoy,

Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the online petition:

"Petition to Save ex SS FRANCE, Ex SS NORWAY, BLUE LADY TO THE SCRAPPING"

hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition
service, at:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/PLPF02/

I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might
agree, too. If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider
signing yourself.

Best wishes,

Ruud

Note:Just give it a try!Besides she was a beautiful "LADY", here seen on her maiden voyage
 

Attachments

#25 ·
The end..?

Bad news for all.....

A report in Lloyds List breaking news section this morning says that the Indian Gov has thrown out an appeal by Greenpeace for the Norway to be banned from entering Indian waters due to the large amount of toxic material on board.

The ship is now expected to sail for the beaches at Alang.

RIP

Rushie
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top