Alang Ship Breaking Yard (India)

Alang (port locode INALA) is a small "port" town in India's Gujarat State (Saurashtra Region, Bhavnagar District) with population around 20,000. Since the early 1990s, Alang has been worldwide known for its shipbreaking yard (the world's largest). There, retired marine vessels (cargo and passenger) are beached/grounded then dismantled. Some vessels (without their own power) are towed.

The 1983-founded Alang Yard is also officially classified as "Port Alang" and dubbed "Alang Ship Breaking Port". Here, ~50% of the world's salvaged ships have been dismantled and recycled (a total of 153 shipbreaking plots), making it the largest ship graveyard on the planet. The beaches where the vessels are broken up are on the Gulf of Khambhat, approx 50 km (31 mi) southeast of the district's capital city (Bhavnagar). Approx 175 km (110 mi) southwest of Alang is Diu Island. Approx 280 km (170 mi) to the south is Mumbai (Bombay) - direct/sea distance.

At Alang's beaches are dismantled all types of vessels, including oil-gas tankers, boxships (container carriers), bulk-cargo carriers, Ro-Ro (car ferries), passenger ships (ferries and cruise liners), and naval ships. The vessels are beached during high tide. When the tide recedes, hundreds of workers start to break up each ship. Most of the machinery and furniture are salvaged, and the rest is for scrap. The work is hard and dangerous, with numerous serious injuries (even deaths) happening daily.

There are plans to modernize the Alang Shipyard since India and Japan signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) for technology and financial help from Japan. The public-private partnership aims to upgrade Alang's shipbreaking and recycling operations according to the latest international safety-, health- and environmental regulations, as well as to make it IMO-compliant.

The Yard's largest vessel so far is the supertanker "MS Seawise Giant" (oil tanker, IMO 7381154, 1979-built, 2010-scrapped as "MS Mont"). This was also the world's longest ship - with LOA length 459 m (1504 ft), draft 25 m (81 ft), GT 260941 tons, DWT 564763 tons.

Note: Due to the Coronavirus crisis and IMO's new regulations (marine engine upgrades for using low-sulfur fuels and LNG), in 2020-2021 were scrapped 15 cruise liners - an unprecedented number in comparison to previous years, and even 5-year periods. In 2020, the average ship scrap metal (DWT-deadweight tonnage) prices in Alang rose to ~USD 400 per ton (from ~$200), in Aliaga - to ~USD 300 per ton (from ~$100). EU-flagged ships' scrap values were ~USD 100-200 per ton as these vessels require dismantling at EU-certified yards. Ship scrap prices in the USA were USD 80-90 per ton.

Cruise ships scrapped at Alang

Next are listed some Alang-scrapped cruise ships and converted classic ocean liners. In brackets is the vessel's year of birth and death.

• Viking Saga/Silja Opera/Sally Albatross/Louis Cristal/Celestyal Crystal (1980-2025) Celestyal Cruises
• Song of America/Sunbird/Thomson Destiny/Louis Olympia (1982-2025) Celestyal Cruises
• Pullmantur Zenith/Singa, TSM Singapore (1992-2022) Pullmantur
• Star Pisces/Kalypso ferry (1990-2022) GHK Star Cruises
• SuperStar Gemini/Dreamward/Norwegian Dream (1992-2022) GHK Star Cruises
• SuperStar Aquarius/Windward/Norwegian Wind (1993-2022) GHK Star Cruises
• Black Watch/Westward/Star Odyssey/Royal Viking Star (1972-2022) Fred Olsen
• Phoenix Reisen Albatros/Crown Mare Nostrum/Norwegian Star/Royal Odyssey/Royal Viking Sea (1973-2021)
• CMV Columbus/Pacific Pearl/Ocean Village 1/Arcadia/Star Princess/Sitmar Fair Majesty (1989-2021)
• Amusement World/Putri Bintang/Lion Queen/Sun Fiesta/Pacific Star/Crown Princess Victoria/Stena Saga/Stena Oceanica/Patricia (1967-2021)
• Skyward/Leisure World (1969-2021)
• Grand Celebration/Carnival Celebration/Costa Celebration (1987-2021)
• Jalesh Karnika/P&O Pacific Jewel (1990-2020)
• Ocean Dream/Carnival Tropicale (1981-2020)
• MS Nieuw Amsterdam/Thomson Spirit (1983-2018)
• Carnival Jubilee/P&O Pacific Sun / Henna (1986-2017)
• Starward/Louis Aura (1968-2018)
• Ocean Gala/Thomson Island Escape (1982-2018)
• MS Vistafjord/Saga Ruby (1973-2017)
• Nordic Prince / Ocean Star Pacific / Oriental Dragon (1971-2015)
• Island Venture/Island Princess/MV Discovery (1971-2015)
• Kungsholm / Mona Lisa / Veronica (1966-2015)
• Prinsesse Ragnhild / Bahamas Celebration (1981-2015)
• MS Port Sydney / Princess Daphne (1954-2014)
• Cunard Adventurer / MS Coral (1971-2014)
• Axel Johnson / Costa Marina / Club Harmony (1969-2014)
• Canguro Verde / MS The Calypso (1967-2013)
• SS Santa Rosa / SS The Emerald (1957-2012)
• MS Italia / Ocean Princess (1967-2012)
• Augustus / Philippines / Asian Princess / Philippine (1951-2011)
• Renaissance / Homeric Renaissance / World Renaissance / Awani Dream / Grand Victoria / Blue Monarch / Maestro (1966-2010)
• SS Independence (1951-2010)
• SS Ausonia / Aegean 2 / Winner 5 (1956-2010)
• SS Finlandia / Costa Playa / Golden Princess (1967-2009)
• SS Olympia / Caribe / Regal Empress (1953-2009)
• SS France / SS Norway (1961-2008)
• RMS Empress of Britain / Carnivale (CCL-Carnival) / Olympic / Topaz (1955-2008)
• Bremerhaven / Stella Maris 2 /Viking Bordeaux / Madagascar / Razzmatazz (1961-2008)
• Jean Mermoz / Serenade / Serena (1957-2008)
• Victoria / Anastasis (1953-2007)
• RMS Windsor Castle / Margarita l (1959-2006)
• Free State Mariner / Monterey / Monte (1952-2006)
• RMS Ivernia (1971-2005)
• RMS Franconia (1963-2005)
• Fyodor Shalyapin (1971-2005)
• Tahitien / Atalante / Homericus (1953-2005)
• SS Eugenio C / Eugenio Costa / American Pioneer / Edinburgh Castle / Big Red Boat 2 (1964-2005)
• SS Statendam / Rhapsody / Regent Star / Sea Harmony (1957-2004)
• Dunnottar Castle / Princesa Victoria (1936-2004)
• Ivernia / Franconia / Fedor Shalyapin / Salona (1955-2004)
• Winston Churchill / Mayan Empress (1967-2004)
• Spero / Sappho / Santorini 3 / Santori (1966-2004)
• Aphrodite / Stella Oceanis (1965-2004)
• Cambodge / Stella Solaris (1953-2003)
• SS Argentina / Veendam / Monarch Star / Bermuda Star / Enchanted Isle / New Orleans (1958-2003)
• RMS Transvaal Castle / Festivale (CCL-Carnival) / Islandbreeze / Big Red Boat 3 (1961-2003)
• Shota Rustaveli / Assedo (1968-2003)
• SS Empress of Canada / Mardi Gras (CCL-Carnival) / Star of Texas / Apollon (1961-2001)
• Principe Perfeito / Marianna 9 / Fairsky / Vera / Mariann 9 (1961-2001)
• Aureol / Marianna 6 (1951-2001)

Next video is the 70-min long Canadian documentary film (by Michael Kot) titled "Shipbreakers" (2004) focusing on Alang Yard's deplorable working conditions.

Currently, the world's top-4 largest shipbreaking yards are Alang (India), Chittagong (Bangladesh), Gadani (Pakistan), Aliaga (Turkey). For CruiseMapper's collection of destroyed cruise liners see our Scrapped Cruise Ships.