NOR-Shipping Launches Dedicated Ship Recycling Conference for 2027 as Scrapping Demand Surges

Nor-Shipping Launches Dedicated Ship Recycling Conference for 2027 as Scrapping Demand Surges

OSLO — Global maritime event Nor-Shipping has announced the launch of its inaugural Ship Recycling Conference, scheduled to debut during Nor-Shipping 2027 in Norway. The initiative aims to bring end-of-life vessel management into the maritime mainstream at a time when the sector faces unprecedented demand for vessel dismantling.

Industry forecasts project that more than 15,000 ships will require recycling by 2032—more than double the volume handled over the preceding decade. Despite the scale of this impending wave, sustainable disposal remains largely peripheral to executive decision-making across broader shipping operations.

The dedicated three-hour event will take place on Nor-Shipping’s Main Stage on 9 June 2027. It will assemble shipowners, cash buyers, recycling yard operators, financiers, insurers, classification societies, and international regulators to examine sustainable, transparent, and commercially viable recycling practices.

“Rather than simply creating another ship recycling conference for those already involved in ship recycling, we’re looking to engage the industry as a whole—demystifying this vital segment and connecting with new audiences,” said Sidsel Norvik, Director of Nor-Shipping. “This is a hugely important piece of our maritime puzzle, and it’s only growing in significance as the industry evolves.”

Organised in collaboration with an expert steering committee, the conference agenda will focus on three key themes:

• Market Outlook & Materials: Capacity forecasts, steel markets, and volume expectations.

• Regulatory Landscape: The friction between the Basel Convention and the Hong Kong Convention (HKC), targeting alignment toward a unified global framework.

• Commercial Realities & ESG: Environmental, social, and governance standards, transparency, and balancing residual asset value with compliance.

Nayeem Noor of GMS—the world’s largest buyer of ships and offshore assets for recycling—serves as the conference committee chair.

“A vessel’s final voyage deserves the same attention and responsibility as every other stage of its trading life,” Noor noted. “We want participants to leave with greater insight, stronger connections, and a clearer understanding of how to maximise a vessel’s residual value while ensuring responsible and sustainable recycling.”

The steering committee features specialists from leading international maritime bodies and firms, including BIMCO, Intertanko, the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, S.H. Enterprise, and Lila Group.

The symposium joins an expanded agenda for Nor-Shipping 2027, which runs from 7 to 11 June across Oslo and Lillestrøm, alongside dedicated tracks covering ocean leadership, offshore wind, alternative fuels, and vessel autonomy.