Noranda is seeking to ship its bauxite directly from Jamaica instead of transferring it from Panamax into Capesize vessels in Trinidad, a move that will shave several dollars off the cost of transportation, a senior Noranda Bauxite and Alumina executive said at Metal Bulletin's Bauxite & Alumina conference in Jamaica.
According to Chris Young, vice president of sales and marketing, it costs around $35 per tonne to ship Noranda's bauxite in a Panamax. The company then sends it to Trinidad, where it is discharged and loaded into Capesize vessels for onwards shipment. This already saves the company around $3-4 per tonne, Young told delegates at the Metal Bulletin conference taking place this week...