Aluminium ingots and sow ingots are being sent in a huge quantity as break bulk cargo to the United States.
The ingots so far were being sent to various destinations through containers by all the aluminium manufacturers. Hindalco Industries Ltd, the metal’s flagship company of Aditya Birla Group, the world’s largest aluminium rolling company, became the first aluminium manufacturer to export from Visakhapatnam Port 15,034 tons of ingots as break bulk cargo or general cargo by engaging Orissa Stevedores Ltd (OSL).
The loading of the cargo into bulk carrier CS Crystal berthed at WQ-6 of Multiport Pvt. Ltd. terminal was completed on Sunday. The ship is scheduled to leave for the discharge port at New Orleans in the US on Monday.
The cargo was brought here from Hindalco plants at Mahan, Renukoot and Hirakud and Aditya Alumina Plant at Laphanga. “It is a challenging assignment which we are executing in most professional way with the support of customs and port authorities,” OSL General Manager J.K. Nayak told The Hindu .
World-class infrastructure is required for handling ingots as break bulk. Loading and stowage were the key factor to handling such a task, he said.
Clients in the US and Europe insist on suppliers in India to send it as break bulk cargo instead of container mode to save freight cost. Dispatch as break bulk throughput results in a saving of 30 to 40 per cent towards freight, according to industry sources. While annually over two million ton is exported by the Indian manufacturers, there is a potential to send five lakh ton as general cargo.
“In response to the demand by our clients, we have decided to become the first to send aluminium and sow ingots in such a huge quantity as break bulk cargo as a pilot project,” said Hindalco Industries Ltd Assistant General Manager (Primary Metal Export) Prabhakar Dadsena.
VPT sends aluminium ingots
to U.S. as a break bulk cargo
