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CEO: Ferry will not be scrapped, but properly disposed of asbestos

The owner of the 'Moby Drea', the Messina-based company Med Fuel, has reassured that the ship will not be scrapped. The ferry was neither purchased by Moby nor sent to a shipyard in Croatia for scrapping. The ship has meanwhile reached the Calabrian coast under tow, but the port of Crotone has so far denied the availability of a dock. Davide Prestopino, the CEO of the company, said that sending the ship to Split to remove panels containing a percentage of encapsulated asbestos, was a responsible choice, also dictated by commercial reasons to increase the attractiveness on the charter market and increase the value, while there was no legal obligation to do so. The vessel could continue sailing as it has done so far and as other sister vessels plying Italian seas were doing. Therefore, rumours that the 'Moby Drea' was on the market seeking a scrapyard is denied. Regarding the removal and disposal of the panels, which must be entrusted to a specialized company with appropriate certifications, any omissions will be investigated and, if necessary, legal action taken. To carry out the task, the company in charge will board the ship, dismantle the panels in question, seal them according to the procedures required by current legislation, and transport them for final disposal, an operation not dissimilar to many interventions frequently conducted in many Italian and European ports. Med Fuel was intending to complete this work in Crotone now, but there were also options for carrying it out in other Italian and foreign shipyards in the Mediterranean. in the worst-case scenario, there could be 370 tons of panels containing a percentage of asbestos. Therefore, the asbestos on board could be around 60 tons, not hundreds as some have suggested.

Asbestos filled ferry towed to Crotone

The 'Moby Drea' was returning under tow to Crotone, being pulled by the tug 'Protug 75' (IMO: 9559781), operated by the Greek company Promarine, with an ETA as of Sep 7. The ship's future plans will be made public as soon as they are finalized. The return to Italy was coordinated and agreed upon with the General Command of the Port Authority. The Croatian Ministry of Transport's request, issued following protests from local residents, for the vessel to leave the port of Split and with no work, specifically, the disposal of asbestos panels, having been carried out at the Brodosplit shipyard, has thus been satisfied. In recent days, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform had intervened in the matter. The civic initiative 'Zdravi Split' lead protests demanding the ship leave Croatia, amid fears that the removal of 400 tons of asbestos would be carried out locally at the Brodosplit shipyard, exposing workers and residents to risks. For this reason, requests for its removal have been made. The open letters to the government emphasized that asbestos removal constitutes a ship recycling operation, strictly regulated by European Union law (Regulation 1257/2013) and the Basel Convention. The Brodosplit shipyard was not authorized to carry out demolition operations, therefore the ship should never have been authorized to enter Croatia for that work, according to the NGO. Two official inventories of hazardous materials dated Sep 10, 2024, and Jan 20, 2025, have further undermined trust. The first declared the presence of 64.30 tons of asbestos on board, while the second estimated almost 400 tons. This huge discrepancy raised serious concerns about oversight and transparency and reinforced the feeling that the 'Moby Drea' case was mishandled from the beginning. The platform warned that Turkey, a likely destination for demolition, could not be considered a responsible option, as Turkish ship recycling yards have repeatedly been criticized for unsafe practices, particularly in the handling and disposal of toxic substances like asbestos. Sending a ship with nearly 400 tons of asbestos to such facilities would endanger the health of workers and the surrounding communities. The shipowner and the Italian authorities, as the flag state, now have the responsibility to ensure that the ship is recycled in a certified European facility capable of managing its hazardous materials in full compliance with the law.

Ferry with asbestos panels to leave the port

A tug from Malta, which will tow the 'Moby Drea', has arrived in Split. The ferry was anchored in front of the Brodosplit shipyard with 250 tons of asbestos panels. It has to leave the port until Sep 2. What would happen to it next was unknown. The Italian owner did not reveal whether it will go to a shipyard for further repairs. The shipyard was not too happy with the development of the whole situation; as it was a large project they were counting on to finally get back on their feet financially, which has now failed. Brodosplit's debt to the Ministry of the Sea for unpaid concession fees amounted to two million euros. They owe the City of Split 1.8 million euros for utility and water fees. The ship was towed to the port of Brodosplit on July 31 for the removal of partition walls filled with asbestos panels, which are located in the passenger cabins. This alarmed citizens were also supported by Mayor Tomislav Šuta, and held several protests demanding that the ship leave the shipyard as soon as possible. On Aug 11, the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure issued a decision on the ship's departure from the shipyard and Croatian territorial waters within seven days. It then partially accepted the request of the ship's owner, Med Fuel S.r.l., and extended the deadline for removing the ship by an additional 15 days, due to the complex logistical and technical preparations. The Ministry banned any work to remove asbestos panels from the ship and ordered the Split Port Authority to monitor the implementation of the decision. The ship's owner immediately suspended all work, including the removal of asbestos-containing partitions, emphasizing that they were trying to comply with the law and safety standards.