Able UK is a British based company specialising in the rehabilitation and development of disused sites and facilities, demolition, site reclamation, re-mediation, regeneration and waste disposal. ABLE also owns and operates the largest purpose-designed facility for recycling redundant marine structures including ships.

Ship decommissioning

Able is involved in the decommissioning of toxic ghost ships and other marine constructions. The company's largest facility, known as the Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling Centre (TERRC) has provoked controversy on a number of occasions by dismantling ships rejected by other facilities including 13 former US Naval vessels in 2003.

Controversy

In 2007, the firm was fined £22,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £4,522 by Hartlepool Magistrates' court for improperly disposing of asbestos. Able UK plead guilty to two offences under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2000.

In February, 2009 Able UK agreed to decommission the French warship Clemenceau

Clemenceau (R 98)

Clemenceau , often affectionately called "le Clem'", was the lead ship of her class, and the 6th aircraft carrier of the French Navy, serving from 1961 to 1997. She was the second French warship to be named after Georges Clemenceau, the first one being a battleship of the Richelieu class, laid...

, which again sparked controversy, as both India and Egypt had rejected it as being too toxic to be broken up. Campaigners have said that asbestos on board the ship will damage the environment and the health of workers, but the Environment Agency says it has rigorous controls in place