Editorial comment
I’m pleased to welcome you to the first issue of Dry Bulk – a new magazine for the dry bulk commodities sector. Covering the handling, transportation and trade of dry bulk commodities around the world, Dry Bulk will offer a unique perspective on this fascinating sector.
Each issue will be packed with regional and commodity analysis, expert white papers offering the latest trends and developments in equipment, technology and services, and site tours undertaken by the Dry Bulk team.
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This launch issue includes two such tours. My colleague, Harleigh Hobbs, visited the Port of Immingham in the north of England to discover how its dry bulk facility has developed over the years – from the building of the Humber International Terminal (HIT) in 2000 to the development of HIT 2 in 2003 and the opening of the Immingham Renewables Fuels Terminal in 2013 (IRFT), which handles biomass heading for Drax power plant.
Meanwhile, I visited Cemex’s Dagenham site on the River Thames to see the new wharf infrastructure and aggregates processing plant there. Formerly an asphalt plant and a limestone depot, the site now turns sea-dredged aggregates into sand and gravel for London’s ever-growing construction market – and has plans to further expand its capabilities into concrete batching and limestone import and dispatch.
Making sense of uncertainty
Back from the coalface, our market analysis aims to provide a more strategic view of the dry bulk commodities landscape. This issue’s keynote comes from Colin Hamilton, Head of Commodities Research at Macquarie Group, and focuses on the dry bulk freight market – and the two commodities that drive it: iron ore and coal. Meanwhile, the regional report from Jeffrey Landsberg, Managing Director of Commodore Research & Consultancy, looks at India and asks why it is yet to become the engine for growth in the dry bulk market that many had hoped it would be.
Finally our commodity focus looks at the agribulks market. Thomas Houghton from Platts reports on the impact of Russia’s anti-GMO stance on the grain industry, while Ben Farey of CRU examines the impact of China on the global fertilizer feedstocks markets. Gary Woodruff of GSI concludes the feature with an article that explains the importance of correctly storing grain.
Technically speaking
Last but not least, our technical papers look at shiploading and unloading, maintenance and asset management, and stockyards, silos and storage domes. We also include our Ports & Terminals Review, which rounds-up project news from dry bulk ports and terminals around the world.
We think there is something here for everyone. But we also want to know what you think. Is there a topic or feature you think we should be covering? Do you have a story to tell about a new project or development? Let us know! Drop me a line at the email above, or you can follow us on Twitter (@DryBulkMagazine) or join our groups on LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook. I hope you enjoy the issue and I look forward to connecting with you.
