Arab Shipbuilding & Repair Yard Company (ASRY) and India’s Priya Blue Group have launched what the partners describe as the Middle East’s largest ship recycling facility in Bahrain, following the arrival of the first vessel for recycling under their newly formed joint venture.
The facility combines ASRY’s shipyard infrastructure with Priya Blue’s ship recycling expertise and is intended to provide a regional solution for the dismantling and recycling of end-of-life vessels and offshore assets. Best Oasis, a cash buyer of ships and offshore energy assets, will support the venture through vessel sourcing and commercial acquisition activities.
The operation will offer integrated services covering vessel procurement, recycling, environmental and safety management, hazardous waste handling, compliance documentation and regulatory support. Recycling activities will be carried out using ASRY’s dry docks, slipways and repair berths.
The facility is designed to handle a broad range of marine assets, including commercial vessels, floating production storage and offloading units (FPSOs), floating storage units (FSOs), offshore platforms and drilling rigs. ASRY said it holds the licences required to recycle vessels containing hazardous materials associated with production fluids.
The Bahrain site has the capability to accommodate vessels up to ultra large crude carrier (ULCC) size and receive offshore structures directly alongside berth. The partners stated that operations will be conducted in alignment with the principles of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships and the European Union Ship Recycling Regulation.
The launch marks a significant expansion of ship recycling capacity in the Gulf region and strengthens Bahrain’s position as a maritime services hub supporting both conventional shipping and offshore energy sectors. Priya Blue has previously recycled more than 100 complex vessels at its facilities in Alang, India.