Vinacomin of Vietnam has committed to export alumina in bulk form for the first time ever, rather than packed in bags, a company source said Friday.
The 20,000 mt metallurgical-grade cargo is destined for India's Vedanta and scheduled to load between May 10 and 20 at Go Dau port, for shipment to Kakinada or Gangavaram.
Vinacomin has been exporting bagged alumina since 2012 when its refinery came online. The majority of shipments have been directed to China, as not many international smelters take delivery of bagged alumina. However, bagged alumina remains popular in China as a large number of smelters are inland, and require the material to be transported over long distances via trucks, rather than vacuum lifted onto conveyor belts.
For the coming bulk shipment, Vinacomin plans to transport bagged alumina from the refinery to Go Dau. The material will then be unbagged and placed in a warehouse, ready for loading unto containers. The containers will then be trucked to the berth, and lifted via crane to release the contents onto the ship's hold.
Shipping sources said draft restrictions at the load port, such as a maximum channel draft of 9.4m subject to high tide, and a length overall restriction of 165m, would mean only smaller Handysize ships would be able to accommodate this shipment.
"[We have to] see if it's a one-off case or starting of a new trade," a shipowner source said.
