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Focus: Cargoes subject to liquefaction

IMSBC Code Group A - Nickel Ore - Iron Ore Fines - Bauxite Cargo liquefaction may result in cargo shift and loss of stability; this has been the cause of a number of serious casualties during the last years and now liquefaction is being considered as a major hazard for bulk carriers.Liquefaction occurs when a cargo (which may not appear visibly wet) has a level of moisture in between particles. During a voyage, the ship movement may cause the cargo to liquefy and become viscous and fluid, which can lead to cargo flowing with the roll of the ship and potentially causing a dangerous list and sudden capsize of the vessel. Special consideration and precautions should be taken when loading a cargo which may liquefy.DNV GL has recenlty published an informative guideline for the design and operation of vessels with bulk cargo that may liquefy. The main risk for a vessel carrying cargo that may liquefy is shifting of the cargo.The following cargoes are subject to liquefaction:1. IMSBC Code Group AIn the IMSBC Code, the cargoes have been divided into three groups. Group A consists of cargoes that may liquefy. Group B are cargoes with a chemical hazard. Group C ...

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Lessons learned from accident due to unsafe loading of nickel ore

Unsafe cargo and unsafe anchorage resulted in the loss of ship The Nautical Institute has issued Mars Report regarding an accident occurred due to unsafe loading of nickel ore and unsafe anchorage which resulted in the loss of ship. The IncidentA bulk carrier was to load a cargo of nickel ore from barges intofive holds. During loading, which took approximately three weeks,intermittent rainfall caused interruptions in loading. The ore on thebarges had to be covered over with tarpaulins and the holds on thevessel had to be closed. The crew of the vessel carried out a 'can test'of the ore on each barge before transfer to the vessel.If the test failed,an 'oven drying test' was done to determine the moisture content ofthe ore. If the moisture content was found to exceed the TransportableMoisture Limit (TML was 34.80%), the cargo in the barge wouldnormally be rejected.However, records indicate that on at least two occasions cargo wasaccepted with moisture contents of 35.54% and 37% respectively.Oncethe loading was completed, the holds were trimmed and pressed bymeans of cargo grabs; each cargo hold was about half-full. Calculationsshowed the vessel's intact stability met the requirements of theInternational Code on Intact Stability, 2008. About a week after ...

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IMSBC Code amendments re Cargoes which may Liquefy

Assessment of acceptability for safe shipment Lloyd's Register (LR) issues statutory alert No. 26/2013 regarding amendments to the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code that will enter into force on 1 January, 2015, and may be implemented voluntarily from 1 January, 2014.There are two key changes which relate to cargoes which may liquefy (Group A cargoes), as follows. 1. Assessment of acceptability of consignments for safe shipmentThe amendments to the Code include a more robust assessment of acceptability of Group A cargoes for safe shipment. This is detailed in new section 4.3.3 and involves extra approval from the competent authority of the port of loading before Group A cargoes can be transported. It specifically applies as follows:The shipper must establish procedures for sampling, testing and controlling the moisture content of the cargo to ensure that it is less than the transportable moisture limit (TML) when it is on board the ship.The competent authority of the port of loading must confirm that the procedures comply with the provisions of the IMSBC Code and the Guidelines for Developing and Approving Procedures for Sampling, Testing and Controlling the Moisture Content for Solid Bulk Cargoes which may Liquefy (MSC.1/Circ.1454) before granting approval.The competent ...

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Australian billionaire says to build nickel freight fleet

Australian businessman Clive Palmer Australian businessman Clive Palmer said he plans to build and operate a fleet of four freighters to import nickel ore to a nickel refining plant purchased from BHP Billiton.The decision by the billionaire, who made much of his fortune buying and selling coastal real estate, comes days after announcing he would build an "unsinkable" version of the Titanic to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the original ocean liner.The shipping business, called Asia Pacific Shipping Enterprises, will operate out of Singapore and be majority-owned by the Queensland Nickel Group of Companies, according to a statement issued by Palmer.The fleet will consist of four 64,000-tonne vessels to be built by the state-owned Chinese company, CSC Jinling Shipyard, the same ship builder commissioned to build the new "Titanic", according to the statement. Palmer was unavailable for immediate comment.The Australian refinery in Queensland state imports most of its nickel ore feed from the South Pacific French territory of New Caledonia 1,500 km (900 miles) away. It also uses ore from Indonesia and Philippines.Palmer cut the refinery's annual operating capacity to 35,000 metric tons (38581 tons) from 70,000 metric tons after buying it in 2009 from BHP, which ...

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