EEC is introducing a practical idea within our Ship-to-Green-Steel (S2GS) program: “Anchorages as Mines.” It’s a simple way to use idle ships more intelligently while supporting the shift toward green steel.
Sat Nov 15 2025
Why this idea is emerging now
With the possibility of safer passage through the Red Sea and Suez, several shipowners have recently approached us. Many are thinking ahead about overcapacity and what to do with older vessels that may not be needed if normal trade flows return.
Rather than running these ships at a loss — or scrapping them too early — owners are looking for a middle path.
How “Anchorages as Mines” works
The idea is straightforward:
- Owners can place vessels at anchorage under the S2GS program.
- While the ship is idle, EEC begins the early steps of preparing it for eventual green recycling: planning, compliance checks, documentation and inventory work.
- If the market improves, the owner can take the vessel back into trade with no penalty.
- If the ship is eventually recycled, it enters the S2GS pipeline to supply clean, high-quality scrap to Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmakers.
In other words: the ship remains fully flexible, but time spent waiting is no longer wasted. It becomes part of a planned, transparent pathway into the green-steel supply chain.
Why this helps both sides
- For shipowners: it offers a calm, structured way to manage aging tonnage during an uncertain period.
- For steel producers: it gives visibility on future supply of good-quality, traceable scrap.
EEC’s role
We coordinate the anchorage period, the technical and compliance work, and the eventual recycling phase. The aim is to make the transition from “idle ship” to “green-steel feedstock” smooth and predictable.
This is the essence of Anchorages as Mines — turning downtime into a planned asset, rather than a burden.