Climate change increases risk of liquefaction of bulk cargoes

GCG’s Senior Partner Dr Chris Menkiti and shipping solicitor Nicholas Woo of Birketts’ recently spoke to Nidaa Bakhsh of Lloyd’s List Intelligence to highlight diverse but reinforcing effects of climate change on liquefaction risk of sea-borne bulk cargoes such as nickel ore, iron ore fines and bauxite fines.

Firstly, unpredictable weather patterns would affect mining, stockpiling, transportation and trans-shipment activities, increasing risk. In addition, more severe but less predictable storms would cause greater storm loading of ocean-going vessels carrying potentially vulnerable cargo; this too increasing risk. Finally, as highlighted in COP26, the renewed drive for renewable energy requires improved energy storage and use of batteries. This will increase demand for battery metals, such as nickel ore, which means more voyages in dangerous seas.

Nickel ore remains one of the most vulnerable bulk cargoes to liquefaction and moisture-induced risk. More coordinated research work is needed.

You can read the article here (reproduced with the kind permission of Lloyd’s List): https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1139145/Climate-change-increases-risk-of-liquefaction-of-bulk-cargoes

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