Alang–Sosiya Ship Recycling Yard
Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, India · India · Founded 1983
- Plot count
- 183
- Capacity
- 4,500,000 LDT/year
- HKC compliance
- Multiple plots HKC-Ready — Gujarat Maritime Board issued Statement of Compliance to ~118 plots as of 2024. Fitness Assessment programme ongoing.
- ISO 30000
- Certified
- Typical vessels
- Bulkers, tankers, container ships end-of-life. Handles ~30% of global ship-recycling tonnage by LDT.
Overview
Alang–Sosiya on Gujarat's Gulf of Khambhat is the world's largest ship-recycling site by LDT throughput. Established 1983 by the Gujarat Maritime Board, the 15-km beach hosts 183 numbered plots operated by ~100 recycling companies. Beaching-method recycling (tidal beaching + hand-cutting) dominates; the substrate is soft clay that allows post-Panamax vessels to be beached at high spring tide. The Hong Kong Convention 2009 has driven a substantial upgrading programme since India's ratification in 2019: as of 2024 ~118 plots hold Gujarat Maritime Board Statements of Compliance under HKC-Ready assessment. NGO Shipbreaking Platform continues to flag safety and environmental concerns on the majority of plots, particularly around asbestos, mercury, and PCB handling. For seafarers, Alang is often the last voyage's destination — vessels are typically delivered via cash-buyer intermediary (Best Oasis, GMS, Wirana) with the crew paid off at Fujairah or Singapore before delivery to Alang under a stripped-down 3-person delivery crew.
Safety
Historically the world's highest; 2000-2015 saw 300+ recorded fatalities. 2016-2024 IMS-compliant plots report substantial reduction; unregulated plots still contribute.
Career pathway
Alang employs ~50,000 workers directly plus ~100,000 in adjacent industries. Career pathway for seafarers: ex-chief engineers and superintendents transition into recycling-yard technical roles as inventory-of-hazardous-materials (IHM) surveyors, HKC compliance officers, or plot-operation managers. IIMS marine surveyor accreditation is the typical bridge qualification.