The decommissioned US Navy aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk docked at the Port of Brownsville, Texas on 31 May 2022 after a 16,000-mile trip from Bremerton, Washington, around the tip of South America, prior to her recycling.
International Shipbreaking Ltd., part of the EMR Group, held a public arrival ceremony at the Cameron County Amphitheatre at Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island, Texas. The ceremony is to honour the vessel and the tens of thousands of veterans who served our country throughout her 48 years of service.
Chris Green, President of International Shipbreaking Limited, LLC. said: “We take great pride in having been awarded another US Navy ship recycling project.
“I will personally make sure that our recycling operations are as respectful as possible to the men and women who served our country onboard this mighty ship.
“USS Kitty Hawk will be our fourth Navy Supercarrier recycling project. We have developed procedures for safely recycling the largest ships ever built and I am proud to lead 168 of the hardest working people I have ever met.”
International Shipbreaking Ltd., part of the EMR Group won the Navy bid to recycle the 60,000-ton vessel, the last of the Kitty Hawk-class of “supercarriers”.
Once she has safely arrived in Brownsville, the carrier will undergo an extensive dismantling and recycling process which is expected to take around a year and a half to complete.
“Facility preparations are complete, and we are anxiously awaiting her arrival,” commented Chris Green. “Our team of highly trained employees will recycle this vessel in a respectful, safe and environmentally responsible manner.”
