Containers

According to Gitana Røyset, Claims Executive, Arendal, global coal consumption climbed to an all-time high in 2022 and is on track for a record-breaking 2023 and 2024.

This article refers to the safety measures needed to reduce the risk of fire and explosion when dealing with coal cargoes.

Gard highlights that coal is a fossil fuel with varying properties, depending on its source and handling before it is loaded aboard ship. Some coals can self-heat, and some emit methane – characteristics that can create fire and explosion risks to the crew, vessel and cargo. Gard has had several cases involving problematic coal cargoes, particularly those originating in Indonesia. Continue reading “Coal cargoes: Safety protocols for managing methane emission risks”

With growing container ship capacity and threat of cargo losses at sea coinciding, ClassNK has recently published two sets of guidelines to help improve cargo safety at sea.

The recent increase in container ship capacity – a response to the growing demand for freight container transport – has coincided with a sharp increase in the number of containers lost overboard, including some notable examples of stack collapse. While rising stack heights have surely contributed to this trend, other influential factors include wave height and size, the ship’s vertical centre of gravity (CoG), the CoG of the container stack and variability in stowage, and cargo securing equipment. Continue reading “Threat of cargo losses at sea: Fresh guidelines”

Bananas, though said to be the world’s most transported and consumed fruit, are also among the most sensitive cargoes that can be carried on a ship according to Skuld. Before a banana ends up on the shelves it has been exposed to numerous external factors which all have a bearing on how the fruit is finally presented.

It is an essential part of the banana export trade that the bananas are harvested in a “green” condition. This way, the ripening progression can be controlled during transport up and until presentation to the consumer markets. The ripening process of the bananas is irreversible if the bananas are allowed to enter the “climacteric” phase before transport. Continue reading “Bananas are sensitive cargoes”