Safe carriage of iron ore fines are always the question of common concern of shipowners and clients. Attached please kindly find a circular recently issued by Kolkata Port Trust for your perusal. Further, we hereby attach circulars of the same topic from Indian government earlier last year for your reference (bilingual). Should you have any question, please feel free to contact with us. Thanks.
KOLKATA PORT TRUST
HALDIA DOCK COMPLEX
Re: – Export of bulk Iron Ore Fines on ships at HDC during monsoon – readiness thereof.
During the monsoon season, ships programmed for loading Iron Ore Fines at HDC frequently idle at working berth due to refusal of the Master of the ships to accept such cargo on grounds of excess moisture content than the Transportable Moisture Limit (TML). Such events not only affect the berth throughput but the same also results in unnecessary shifting of ship inside port to accommodate other cargo ship in their place.
Under the aforesaid circumstances, it has been decided that henceforth, the Iron Ore Fines tendered for shipment by the shipper shall have to be jointly surveyed at the plot inside port by the P & I or Owner’s Surveyor of the ship, the Shipper’s Surveyor as well as the surveyors of the Charterer’s Agent, if any. The Joint Survey Analysis is to be done in a Test Laboratory as per the requirement of P & I or Owner’s Surveyor & the report should clearly state if the cargo is accepted/rejected for loading considering the TML of cargo as per Joint Survey.
Thereafter, the Ship’s Agent will submit a letter to the concerned berth officials of the port stating that the cargo so surveyed in the plot is acceptable / rejected for loading with copy of the Joint Survey Report before calling/berthing of the ship at working berth.
It may be stated that during monsoon, the readiness of the ship will only be considered from the date & time of submission of such Joint Survey Report of the surveyors & declaration of the Agent of the ship.
The above comes into effect from the 7th day of the date of issue of this circular.
