Displaying items by tag: Shipping

World: Market analysis agency S&P Global has collated the latest data on the global seaborne cement trade in the first half of 2025. Citing research by shipbroking house Howe Robinson Partners, it reported total volumes of 107Mt in the six-month period, up by 7% year-on-year from 100Mt in the first half of 2024. This is the largest global first-half volume recorded since 2021. Full-year seaborne cement trade volumes were 207Mt in 2024, up by 1.5% from 204Mt in 2023.

Vietnam and Türkiye remained the leading global cement exporters, with 16.1Mt and 12.5Mt, 15% and 12% of the total, respectively. Both countries slightly increased their export volumes. Next up in the rankings, Egyptian shipments rose by 14% to 10.9Mt, overtaking Iran, with 6.5Mt (down by 10%). Other rapid growth geographies included Indonesia, with 7.2Mt (up by 22%) and Pakistan, with 4.4Mt (up by 26%).

On the import side, despatches to the US fell by 1% to 11.4Mt, while Bangladeshi imports rose by 9% to 8.7Mt. West Africa was the largest regional market in terms of volumes. It imported 11.8Mt, up by 17%.

Jamaica: Caribbean Cement Company has exported 3000t of cement to Curaçao, following the completion of its US$41.8m debottlenecking project at the Rockfort plant in June 2025. The upgrade expanded production capacity, allowing the company to sustain ‘record output’ of cement and clinker, according to Our Today news.

Managing director Jorge Martinez said the shipment demonstrated the company’s ability to serve both domestic and regional markets. “What you are witnessing is a company that not only fully resources the local market but also has the strengthened capacity to export. Our first commitment is to Jamaica, and now that we can consistently meet domestic demand, we are complementing the local market with exports, leveraging the surplus from our expanded capacity,” he said.

The cargo was loaded onto the MV Suzie Q on 22 September 2025. Curaçao’s construction sector is reportedly growing on the back of tourism-led economic activity, with demand rising for real estate, roads, public spaces and utilities. Caribbean Cement said that it plans to expand its export presence across the Caribbean Basin.

Canada: MV Tamarack arrived at the Port of Montreal on 22 August 2025, completing its maiden voyage and becoming the first newly built cement carrier to serve the Great Lakes in 20 years. The 12,500t vessel, owned by Eureka Shipping, a joint venture between CSL and SMT Shipping, was delivered on 23 July 2025 at Holland Shipyard in the Netherlands. The ship replaces two older vessels, offering the same capacity and reduced environmental impact, according to the company. MV Tamarack has a 10,700m³ cement hold, diesel-electric propulsion, shore-power compatibility, biofuel capability and energy-saving cargo systems.

Colombia: Argos simultaneously loaded three cement ships for the first time at its Cartagena maritime terminal, moving over 31,000t of bulk cement. Platform 1 shipped 7000t to the Antilles and 3000t to the Caribbean, while Platform 2 loaded 21,000t for the US.

By the end of July 2025, Argos had shipped 570,000t of bulk cement on 44 vessels and 50,000t of bagged cement on 15 vessels.

Vice president of Argos Regional Colombia Carlos Horacio Yusty said “This milestone demonstrates the strength of our logistics network and the capacity of the terminal in Cartagena to respond to international markets. Having loaded three ships simultaneously sets a precedent in our operation and encourages us to continue growing in competitiveness.”

The Cartagena terminal has an installed capacity to handle 3.5Mt/yr of cement, clinker and raw materials.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement says it started using an artificial intelligence-based (AI) ship allocation optimisation system in May 2025. Software company Grid provided the technology for the project. The companies say that this is the first such application in the domestic cement industry.

The new ship allocation system analyses large volumess of transportation data and generates optimal ship allocation plans while considering various constraints. It is intended to: reduce transportation costs such as fuel; optimise courses and loading efficiency, with an expected 10% reduction of fuel consumption at the planning stage; enhance inventory management; and reduce planning time by more than 50% compared to manual planning methods.

Canada/Netherlands: Eureka Shipping has taken possession of a new cement carrier called Tamarack from Holland Shipyards Group.

The 12,500dwt self-discharging cement carrier is designed specifically for the Great Lakes region in Canada that has been built to replace to older vessels. It is equipped with diesel-electric propulsion, featuring four generator sets, two 360-degree rudder propellers, and a bow thruster for added manoeuvrability. It also includes four dedicated cement cargo holds with a total capacity of 10,700m³, supported by high-efficiency loading and discharging systems. The Tamarack’s design includes engines capable of running on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). It is also prepared for shore power connectivity, enabling zero-emission operations in ports as the infrastructure evolves.

UK/Norway: UK-based marine carbon capture firm Seabound has launched an onboard carbon capture project in partnership with Hartmann Group, InterMaritime Group and Heidelberg Materials Northern Europe. The solution equips the UBC Cork, a 5700 gross tonne cement carrier, with Seabound’s calcium looping carbon capture system. This system captures up to 95% of CO₂ and 98% of sulphur emissions from the ship’s exhaust using calcium hydroxide to absorb the CO₂ and convert it into limestone that is stored onboard until returning to port. The captured carbon will be offloaded at the Port of Brevik for use at Heidelberg Materials’ Brevik cement plant, host of the first industrial-scale carbon capture facility in the cement sector.

The project is co-funded by the Eurostars partnership on Innovative SMEs, part of Horizon Europe through the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation. This funding supports collaborative research and development projects in a range of industries, including maritime transport.

CEO of Seabound Alisha Fredriksson said “We’re proud to partner with industry leaders like Heidelberg Materials and Hartmann to deliver scalable carbon capture solutions. We’re especially excited to be advancing this work in Brevik, a strategic location that’s rapidly establishing itself as a global hub for CCS with Heidelberg’s world-first facility and the Northern Lights pick up point. Together, we’re demonstrating how onboard carbon capture can accelerate emissions reductions in carbon-intensive sectors.”

Lars Erik Marcussen, Logistics project manager at Heidelberg Materials Northern Europe, said “Shipping cement is emissions-intensive, and Seabound’s system gives us a clear path to reduce those Scope 3 emissions while enhancing our circular use of captured CO₂. This project also brings us one step closer to decarbonising the logistics/transport part of our operations.”

China: NovaAlgoma Cement Carriers has confirmed an order for a 38,000t methanol dual-fuel pneumatic cement carrier by Zhejiang Xinle Shipbuilding, for delivery in 2027.

The vessel will be chartered under a long-term contract by Holcim. Other features include an air lubricating system and a waste heat recovery system, which will recycle exhaust gases to generate electricity.

“By increasing the quantity intake and burning green methanol, the CO₂ emissions on these shipments will be reduced by more than 60% per year in comparison to current freight flows, ie 0.18Mt of CO₂ reduction over a period of 10 years,” NovaAlgoma said.

India: Ambuja Cements will invest US$286m in two cement carriers and eight clinker carriers. The company expects to finalise a shipbuilding contract within 15 days, with Cochin Shipyard and Swan Defence and Heavy Industries under consideration.

Each 38,500t Handymax cement carrier will cost US$45.8m, while each 9200t clinker carrier will cost US$22.9m. The clinker carriers will have a 30m beam, 4m draft and 150m length, increasing cargo capacity from the traditional 3000t to 9200t per trip.

Finland: Finland-based technology company Wärtsilä will supply a complete propulsion package for the new methanol dual-fuel cement carrier from NovaAlgoma Cement Carriers. The ship is under construction at Zhejiang Xinle Shipbuilding in China and is expected to launch in late 2026. The contract includes two Wärtsilä 32 engines, one Wärtsilä 25 auxiliary engine, two gearboxes, two controllable pitch propellers, one tunnel thruster, three selective catalytic reduction systems, the propulsion control system, two shaft generators and engine accessory items, with deliveries starting in November 2025.

Sweden-based Climeon recently won an order to install its organic rankine cycle waste heat recovery technology, HeatPower 300, on the vessel.