The term ‘dry bulk (things carried by a ship, etc.)
can be used to describe some different raw materials, yet all share some key (features/ qualities/ traits). A dry bulk (things carried by a ship, etc.) is usually:
A solid material (either a combination of particles, granules or large pieces) shipped in large amounts measured in deadweight (weight/number of tons) (dwt) Loaded and shipped unpackaged, in lose form
An unprocessed (something of value) which will later be used for the manufacturing or production of products
(that are bought and sold)
What is dry bulk shipping?
Dry bulk shipping refers to the transportation of dry bulk (things carried by a ship, etc.) on ships known as bulk carriers. There are (more than two, but not a lot of) different types of these specialist ships, each capable of carrying changing/different amounts of (things carried by a ship, etc.). For example, a small mini-bulker has an ability (to hold or do something) of up to 10,000 dwt whereas a giant-bulker can carry up to 400,000 dwt.
The dry bulk shipping industry plays a central role in worldwide trade. Without it, modern industry as we know it would not exist. Even everyday tasks, such as cooking a pizza in the oven, would not be possible without dry bulk shipping which is responsible for moving the:
Grain needed to make the pizza base
Iron ore and aluminium used to make the oven‘s metal parts/pieces
Coal-created electricity used to power the oven
What are the major dry bulk trades in shipping?
Dry bulk (things carried by a ship, etc.) is split into two main groups: major bulks and minor bulks. There are three major dry bulk trades:
Grain
Iron ore
Coal (coking coal and thermal coal)
Combined, these account for around 67% of the world‘s total dry bulk (something of value) trading. The remaining 33% is referred to as minor dry bulk trades, such as:
Cement
Fertiliser
Scrap metal
Let’s look at some of these dry bulk trades in more detail.
Iron ore
Iron ore is the raw material used to make iron. Found in the earth‘s crust, there are, in fact, some different iron ores, including:
Limonite
Hematite
Magnetite
Siderite
Iron ore is high-quality (this involves removing the oxygen from it) and turned into iron, which is then used in many businesses across the globe.
Coal
Coal is usually mined using large machines, in one of two ways:
Surface mining
Underground mining
After (pulling out or taking from something else) the coal from the ground, it is sent to a plant for cleaning and processing. Thought about/believed a (coal, natural gas, oil, etc.), coal is mainly used to create electric power, however it does have some other uses. For example, it can be used to produce cement, medicines, tars and heating. What’s more, a particular type of coal ((related to the science of working with metals) coal) can also be used for making steel.
Grain
Grain (also known as cereals) is the name given to a group of (things of value) that includes wheat, oats, rice, and corn, which all come from gathering/collecting the seeds of grasses. While cereals are produced in some countries, China is the biggest producer and is responsible for a quarter of the worldwide grain output. (in other countries), grains are the most important staple food, which explains why this dry bulk (things carried by a ship, etc.) is in such high demand. However, this high demand is not without its risks as grain is carefully thought about/believed one of the hardest and dangerous dry bulk (things carried by a ship, etc.)es to transport.
Sand and (mix of little rocks)
Usually, sand is mined through an open pit but it can also be (pulled out or taken from something else) from beaches and inland dunes, or dug/scooped from sea beds and riverbeds. It is a valuable dry bulk (something of value) as it has some commercial uses, including:
Construction
Sand and (mix of little rocks) are used to make materials used in construction projects worldwide, such as concrete, bricks and pipes
Making glass
Sand contains silica which is a valuable (something of value) used to make other products, including glass
Building roads and keeping them safe
When mixed with (black road covering), sand can be used for highway construction. Plus, it can be used on icy/snowy roads to make driving safer during winter.
Scrap metal
Scrap metal refers to metal which is left over from a manufacturing process, or has been thrown out by people (who use a product or service), but which can be recycled and has money-based value. It may include large items like machinery parts and building supplies, as well as smaller items such as tin cans and metal drillings. There are two main types of scrap metal:
Ferrous
Metals that contain iron, such as steel and cast iron
Non-ferrous
Metals that do not contain iron, such as copper, brass, aluminium, zinc, magnesium, tin, nickel, and lead
The transportation of scrap metal involves some possible dangers, such as:
Fire risk
Loading damage
Wet damage
Radioactivity
Health concerns and physical injury
Bauxite
Bauxite is one of the most plentiful minerals on the planet. It can be found in many countries, with large deposits in West Africa, Australia, South America and India, as well as smaller deposits in the Caribbean and Southern Europe. Brownish
yellow in color, it is generally found close to the earth‘s surface with layers changing/different from under 1 metre to over 40 metres. After being mined, bauxite is used to make alumina (aluminum oxide) which, in turn, is used to create aluminum metal. Bauxite can also be used for the manufacture of other industrial products including (rough things that scrape surfaces), cement and chemicals.
How to charter a dry (things carried by a ship, etc.)
vessel With more than 80% of international trade being moved by sea, sea-related transport is hugely important for moving all kinds of products (that are bought and sold) to where they need to be. And dry bulk (things carried by a ship, etc.) is no exception. In order to transport dry bulk (things of value) (such as coal, grain and sand) it is necessary to charter a ship, however, the type of dry bulk ship used for a clearly stated/particular shipment will depend on the following factors:
What is the size of the (things carried by a ship, etc.)?
Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOC), Capesize and Panamax ships have large abilities (to hold or do something) so are good for bigger (things carried by a ship, etc.)es, whereas (conveniently nearby/useful)max and small (conveniently nearby/useful) ships are more suited to carrying smaller (things carried by a ship, etc.)es.
Is it dangerous (things carried by a ship, etc.)?
If you‘re shipping dangerous products (that are bought and sold), it is very important you take appropriate (steps taken to prevent trouble or injury) to secure/make sure of their safe storage and transportation.
Is it food-grade (things carried by a ship, etc.)?
Rules require food-grade (things carried by a ship, etc.) to be moved in a special container that has not (before that/before now) been used for storing harmful substances or chemicals.
Is it valuable (things carried by a ship, etc.)?
For high-value items it is important the necessary steps are taken to handle products (that are bought and sold) with a high level of care and security.
