When Fiber Ships are Burned--The Intersection of FRP and Incinerators, April 1995

When Fiber Ships are Burned--The Intersection of FRP and Incinerators, April 1995

In the mid-1990s, Japan was caught between the remnants of its rapid economic growth and growing environmental awareness. Fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), which is lightweight and durable, was widely used in fishing boats and pleasure boats, with more than 400,000 vessels in operation nationwide, but the problem of disposal due to aging was becoming serious. In particular, FRP hulls cannot be dismantled and reused as easily as metal hulls, and this has been a detriment to nature in the form of illegal dumping. 1,573 vessels were dumped nationwide in 1994, and about 40% of them were FRP vessels.

In response to this reality, MHI and a group of local companies from different industries in Nagasaki and Shimonoseki, respectively, began demonstration tests of incineration plants to treat FRP waste ships. The plant in Nagasaki introduced a technology to gasify the resin by heating it at a low temperature of 700 degrees Celsius without damaging the glass fiber. This system suppresses the generation of tar and odors and prevents damage to the incinerator itself. The Shimonoseki unit, on the other hand, is designed to incinerate the entire hull and outfitting, and the remaining glass fiber will be reused as paving material. The advanced technology from the local region, including the mobile design and low combustion cost, attracted much attention.

Behind the development of this technology was the impending introduction of ISO 14000. As environmental considerations were being thrust upon companies as an international standard, an era was about to begin in which shipbuilding and fishery-related companies would also be required to take responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products.

At the same time, a special feature on the future of the small incinerator market was also published. At the time, 73% of municipal waste was incinerated, leaving only 1.7 years of capacity left in disposal facilities. Amid the urgent need for reuse and volume reduction, inexpensive and simple small incinerators were being introduced by local governments and small and medium-sized companies. However, the high degree of flexibility in installation had backfired, and the introduction of anti-pollution equipment and compliance with environmental standards had become issues.

FRP scrappers and small incinerators--at the intersection of these two technological domains, the legacy of past growth and the responsibility for the future overlap. In the spring of 1995, after a century of mass production and mass disposal, Japan was quietly at a turning point between technology and institutions.