Danbjørn and Isbjørn on Their Final Journey

In September 2023, the icebreakers Danbjørn and Isbjørn began their final journey. They were towed to Esbjerg for recycling at Smedegaarden A/S, a greenlisted ship recycling yard.

The icebreakers were built in the 1960s to navigate Danish waters and break up ice. However, their last mission took place during the winter of 1995-1996. Since then, the state unsuccessfully attempted to sell them. Following the decision to scrap the vessels, an international tender was initiated, ultimately awarding the task to Smedegaarden A/S in Esbjerg.

Morten Smedegaard, the company’s director and co-owner, shared, “We have been working on securing this order for several years. We are proud to have won the international tender and to have the opportunity to dismantle these ships in Denmark under safe working and environmental conditions.”

How does the dismantling process work?
“The two iconic ships were not acquired for equipment resale due to their age,” explains Klaus Smedegaard, the company’s chairman and co-owner.

“When they were built, Danish designers were responsible for their interiors. The old furniture and lamps were still aboard the ships. These were dismantled and subsequently sold at auction to the highest bidders. All other components were disassembled, sorted by waste type, and sent for recycling, incineration, or disposal. Of the approximately 6,000 tons of material, we expect about 68% to be directly recycled as metal scrap, around 22% to undergo preprocessing before recycling, about 9% to be incinerated, and less than 1% to end up in landfill,” concludes Klaus Smedegaard.

It is also significant to the Danish state that this piece of maritime history concludes its journey within Denmark. The shipyard is ISO-certified under ISO 9001, ISO 45001, and ISO 14001 and is included on the European Union's green list of approved recycling facilities.

This text has been translated by Energy Cluster Denmark.

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