The Skuld P&I Club issues advisory
The Skuld P&I Club has issued an advisory regarding several shipments of “Sintered Iron Ore” out of Philippines, shipped primarily by Philippine Sinter Corporation. Certain queries arose in respect of these shipments which are of general interest, and Skuld provides the following advices.
Solid Bulk Cargo Information
As per the cargo information, provided by shipper, the cargo was said to fall under Group C of the IMSBC code and the cargo was described as:
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Sinter Feed
The term Sinter Feed relates to iron ore which is too fine grained for use in a blast furnace in the current state. The fines are agglomerated in a sintering plant by adding a binding agent such as limestone, so they form larger particles.
IMSBC Code
The IMSBC Code places the “Sinter Feed” into the metal concentrates schedule, which is listed as Group- A cargo. That is the present applicable regulation.
Following submission by the Philippines to the IMO, a new individual draft schedule for sintered iron ore in the IMSBC code describes the cargo as:
“Coarse granular iron ore for charging to blast furnaces. Obtained through sintering process from fine grained raw material, moisture content: up to 4 percent.”
The proposed new individual schedule would put this cargo under Group-C of IMSBC.
Information that we gathered from the local correspondent
Temperature of the cargo – during stockpiling after processing, the temperature of the cargo when conveyed through the conveyor belt which is about 1.3 kilometeres, range from 60 to 70 degrees centigrade and during the transfer the conveyed cargo is cooled down by a series of six water spray control system.
Temperature at open stockpile reaches to 35-40 degrees centigrade.
Size of the cargo – ranges from 5 mm to 200 mm.
Development
In July this year, and at the request of the Philippines, the IMO began discussing the introduction of a new schedule in the IMSBC code for Sintered Iron Ore, which would be classed as a Group C cargo (please see attached IMO circular). Whilst tests undertaken in support of this application appeared to show that Sintered Iron Ore may not have a significant risk of liquefying, the new schedule does not appear to have been accepted yet.
At present therefore this cargo would continue to be a Category A cargo under the IMSBC and would have to be declared and handled accordingly.
Source: SKULDP&I Club
