Cement News tagged under: freight

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Owners urged to scrap older vessels

06 September 2018, Published under Cement News

In the three-month period to 17 July 2018, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) rose from a low of 1042 points on 30 May to a high of 1695 on 16 July. Baltic Dry Index – three months to 17 July 2018 Khalid Hashim, managing director of Thailand-based Precious Shipping, which operates four cement carriers, has urged shipowners to scrap their older vessels or face continuing volatility. “If scrapping doesn’t accelerate then the BDI will continue to fluctuate sharply solely dependen...

JT Cement adds new vessel to fleet

20 August 2018, Published under Cement News

Norway-based JT Cement has ordered a new pneumatic cement carrier from Dutch shipyard Ferus Smit. The new vessel will be a sistership to the M/V Greenland and is expected to be delivered in July next year. It will have a cargo-carrying capacity of 8000dwt, which is bigger than the Greenland, and a greater LNG tank capacity at 200m3 to improve steaming time. In June this year, NovaAlgoma Cement Carriers (NACC) acquired a 25 per cent share in JT Cement, joining KGT Cement Holdings and Erik ...

Dry bulk on road to recovery?

31 July 2018, Published under Cement News

In the three-month period to 6 June 2018, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) began at 1212 points before falling steadily to 948 points four weeks later. By 14 May it had climbed to 1476 points, followed by a dip to 1077, before recovering to 1249 points by 6 June.  According to BIMCO, the dry bulk sector appears to be continuing on its road to recovery, as long as demand can stay ahead of fleet growth. Baltic Dry Index – three months to 6 June 2018

Dry bulk overcapacity and trade wars

30 June 2018, Published under Cement News

The last three months have seen a welcome recovery in the Baltic Dry Index (BDI). On 7 February the index stood at 1097 points, before rising a month later to 1212 points. This was followed by a fall to 948 points by 6 April, after which the index picked up again to peak at 1384 points by 5 May. The last year has seen a positive turnaround in the dry bulk market but overcapacity remains an issue. According to analysts, S&P Global Platts, around 30 per cent of the existing dry bulk fleet need...

JSW Cement inaugurates railway siding for Salboni plant

13 June 2018, Published under Cement News

JSW Cement has inaugurated a 6.5km railway siding to transport inbound and outbound cargo for its 2.4Mta facility in Salboni, West Bengal. "In cement business, logistics accounts for 30-35 per cent of the cement cost and to be cost effective we are continuously working on various levers to reduce this cost. This railway siding is a step in this direction," said Parth Jindal, managing director, JSW Cement. The railway siding will improve the availability of raw material at the plant and wi...

JT Cement orders 8000dwt cement carrier

13 June 2018, Published under Cement News

Norway’s JT Cement AS has ordered a pneumatic cement carrier from Netherlands-based Ferus Smit, according to Erik Thun AB. The ship will be the sister vessel of M/V Greenland and is scheduled for delivery in July 2019. "The vessel will be an improved version of Greenland but with a somewhat larger cargo carrying capacity at 8000dwt. In addition, we will increase the LNG tank capacity to 200m 3 , improving the steaming time on LNG," stated Erik Thun. The project will be handled by MF Shipp...

Cement by sea

12 June 2018, Published under Cement News

Moving cement by sea is a difficult business, often requiring dedicated vessels fitted with specialist equipment. Shipowners and operators also have to manage freight rate fluctuations, new environmental regulations and what happens when there are not enough ships to go round. By James Johnston, Braemar ACM Shipbroking, UK. Dedicated cement carriers have integrated loading and discharge systems to minimise dust pollution As a somewhat specialised cargo, cement does not get ...

Shree Cement to acquire railway siding operator

01 May 2018, Published under Cement News

The board of India’s Shree Cement Ltd has approved the acquisition of Raipur Handling and Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, a private railway siding operator, for INR590m (US$8.8m). The acquisition will help the company improve the management of goods transportation on the railway network, according to a stock exchange disclosure. While the deal is subject to the approval from railway authorities, it is expected to be completed within three months of the execution of a definitive agreement, accordi...

Coal price to come down, freight rates to harden

20 December 2017, Published under Cement News

Chinese coal prices, which have fluctuated between CNY550-750/t (US$83.60-114/t) in the past two years, are set to ease going forward, as it is anticipated that the country's policy makers will allow Chinese miners to increase production again in response to prices reaching the upper range of US$100/t in Newcastle. Coal producers outside China are also ramping up production, tempted by the higher prices realised in 2017. US exports have been reported to expand at the highest pace in the l...

BDI rallies on back of coal demand

20 December 2017, Published under Cement News

Freight rates in the dry bulk sector are rising on the back of a commodity boom. By the end of November 2017, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) had improved by 45 per cent so far that year, coming in at over 1470 points in the closing week of the month. According to brokers, the late rise in dry bulk freight rates has been driven by renewed demand for coal in China and India. Some of this trend may be due to the Indian government’s potential extension of its petcoke ban forcing the country’s cement...