Bauxite Shipping Improvements

Our stewardship doesn’t end at the mine gate

When we send our products to our clients, it’s easy to imagine that our responsibility ends at the mine gate – but nothing could be further from the truth. We take every measure we can to ensure that the product is delivered intact, safely and on time.

For customers buying our bauxite, this usually means taking delivery of shipping containers, but it’s not as simple as just filling up and shipping out. Bauxite has a potential to liquefy under certain conditions, and this change in the consistency of the material can compromise the stability of the vessel it’s on.

In order to mitigate this risk, every year we thoroughly assess our moisture management procedures and controls designed to ensure the bauxite doesn’t liquefy when on board a vessel, and that the containers we use are all compliant with International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Since 2016, SOLAS has required that the gross mass of a packed is verified prior to stowage on board the ship, so we also implement national standards for weighing device accuracy.

Our Singapore-based Marketing team regularly participates in the International Maritime Organisation sub-committee meetings on carriage of cargoes and containers. In addition, we are part of a global industry initiative aiming to develop a new transportable moisture limit test method for bauxite. This considers the physical and chemical properties of the product, ensuring safer transportation.

It’s just one of the many ways we work to ensure that our clients get what they have ordered, and that everyone involved in the delivery and processing of our materials gets home safely.