A massive robotic arm, equipped with a waterjet that can cut through steel, is activated.
The steel from the hull of a large ship is quickly cut by the robot as it sucessfully yields to the powerful jet. In no time, a large rectangle of it is removed. Decades of withstanding the force of the sea have come to an end.
Having fulfilled its purpose, the machine silently progresses to the next part.
Bryce Lawrence, operations director at Leviathan, explains that robots can be deployed at the bow and stern, as well as two points in the middle, and be directed to move towards each other. The Germany-based company intends to put the robots to work taking apart massive ships to reclaim the steel.
The shipbreaking sector of today is among the most hazardous and oppressive industries in the world.
When large ships finish their years of service transporting goods, oil, or other items between continents, they often find their final destination on a beach in South Asia, which is prone to high levels of contamination. Workers use torches powered by fossil fuels to slowly break apart the vessels, typically without adequate protective gear; unfortunately, deaths are not uncommon in this dangerous environment.
Pollutants such as heavy metals commonly get washed into the ocean from the coasts. Those employed at the scene and nearby areas are often confronted with hazardous materials, among them asbestos. Bimco, which is the Baltic and International Maritime Council, forecasts that in the approaching decade, 15,000 ships shall need to be recycled, a volume that is more than twice that of the antecedent decade.
Leviathan and other businesses are attempting to come up with more efficient and secure approaches to this task. However, there is no certainty that they will be able to rival the bargain-basement workshops of South Asia.
Mr Lawrence explains that compared to traditional ship recycling their Stralsund facility on Germany's Baltic coast will be very, very low carbon. This is because machinery will be powered by electricity, not on-site fossil fuels and recovered steel will be transported to mills around Europe on electrified trains. Commercial operations are set to commence in the near future.
The prototype system put together by the firm combines established technologies. The robot arms resemble those used in car factories and the waterjet is provided by another German firm, ANT AG.
This device uses a high-pressure combination of water and sand to blast away - a technique so precise that it is even employed by bomb disposal specialists to extract the fuses from bombs.
"The bomb needs someone to go near it and plug in the control system," states Till Weber, General Manager of ANT AG, "but after that they have to get away from the bomb as much as possible. Thankfully, the jet can now be operated from a distance of 500 meters. It is currently being used in Ukraine, reports Mr Weber."
When discussing ship cutting, Mr Lawrence contends that this system necessitates fewer laborers than traditional shipbreaking, and may eventually finish the process much more quickly. To this end, Leviathan is creating computer software which will be able to assess the best way to divide up a ship in the most effective manner.
However, it is not inexpensive to do so, and the robot arms have to be properly situated on special frames that are secured to a dock. It is not possible to just stick them on a shore.
Sefer Gunbeyaz, at the University of Strathclyde, assessed the levels of toxic materials to which staff in shipbreaking facilities in the UK and Spain were exposed. The results of his and fellow researchers' findings were "alarming" - especially in regards to lead and iron particles.
"He remarks that the waterjet-based system in Germany is off to a promising start. However, it is still necessary to pay close attention to possible pollutants in the water utilized for ship demolition," he states.
Mr Lawrence elucidates that the Stralsund facility will incorporate a holding region crafted to contain jet water and poisonous materials that have been squirted off the ships. Once purified cautiously, this water can be recycled for further cutting.
Elegant Exit Company, based in The Netherlands, claims that it can responsibly take apart ships. At the beginning of this year, it commenced the recycling of the Wan Hai 165, a container vessel measuring 160m in length.
The organization employs gas-powered cutters at its Bahrani operation and states that it eliminates any dangerous materials before breaking down ships into large chunks of steel, whose weights can reach up to 25 tons, to be moved around.
"We deconstruct a ship," says a spokeswoman, describing the concept of carefully taking apart each vessel piece by piece. The company will evaluate waterjet, plasma and hydraulic mechanical cutters in the future.
For too long, recycling ships has been a dirty business, according to Ingvild Jenssen, creator and head of Shipbreaking Platform, a non-governmental organization which keeps tabs on the industry.
She points out that the shipping sector is aware of the issues at hand and that it is even more surprising.
Despite the illegality of such exports, some owners of ships have attempted to send vessels from Europe to shipbreaking yards in South Asia. The BBC investigation in 2020 revealed that the three oil rigs that were detained in 2018 by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) had been slated to be dismantled on a beach in India.
Two of the structures have since been taken apart at an EU-endorsed facility in Turkey. "The third rig, Ocean Princess, has yet to be dismantled and removed since it was just sent to Turkey in May 2023," states Colin Morrow of Sepa.
Ms Jenssen urges that better documentation of the hazardous materials in a vessel would aid recyclers in its effective handling.
Feng from the University of Maryland concurs with this position and suggests implementing a levy on ship owners when buying a vessel, that can be redeemed after the ship is recycled in a secure manner. automation is being used to reduce or eliminate error.
Employing more technology for business automation is being done with the purpose of minimizing or removing mistakes.
Mr Feng and Ms Jenssen both opine that the present laws, comprising of the recently endorsed Hong Kong Convention, do not bring about the required level of sustainability for shipbreaking. In contrast, a representative from the International Maritime Organization holds the opinion that the convention will decrease the ecological outcomes of ship recycling.
Mr Lawrence claims that the high-tech solutions Leviathan has developed could make a difference if they were to be licensed to other shipbreaking yards. However, he is adamant that permission would only be granted under the condition that the same safety protocols and capacity for containing hazardous substances are implemented, as they are at Stralsund.
Jenssen claims that, in its current state, the environment in various South Asian yards persists in being one of "continual mistreatment". "Laborers head off to their job - and do not return."
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