‘World’s first’ bauxite cargo shipment using LNG-fueled ship completed

UAE-based aluminum producer Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has carried out the “world’s first”  bauxite cargo shipment using vessel powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

As informed, the bauxite was shipped onboard Ubuntu Empathy, an LNG dual-fuelled vessel operated by Anglo American and chartered by EGA.

Ubuntu Empathy, together with its sister 190,000-ton bulk carrier Ubuntu, was christened in May last year. The two ships were ordered by China’s Bank of Communications Financial Leasing (Bocomm Leasing) as part of a fleet of ten LNG dual-fueled newbuilds that the mining company plans to introduce to its chartered fleet in 2023 and 2024.

According to Anglo American, the fleet is expected to deliver an estimated 35% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to ships fueled by conventional marine oil fuel.

Capesize vessels are amongst the largest bulk cargo carriers in the world, and are up to 300 metres long and 50 meters wide. Capesize vessels can carry around 180 thousand tonnes of bauxite ore, according to EGA.

The shipment carried bauxite mined by EGA subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation to a client in China.

EGA predominantly uses Capesize vessels to ship bauxite ore from the Republic of Guinea to the company’s alumina refinery in Abu Dhabi and to third-party customers around the world. Last year, EGA exported some 14.1 million wet metric tonnes of bauxite from Guinea.

“Aluminium plays an essential role in decarbonisation economy-wide. It is also important how sustainably aluminium is produced, and this includes the transportation around the world of millions of tonnes of raw materials. Our approach to decarbonisation is comprehensive and extends beyond our operations to include everything from supply chain to financing.”Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, stated.

“LNG-fuelled cargos are one way for us to reduce our emissions, and we are proud to pioneer this fuel for shipping bauxite. Our goal is to reach net zero by 2050, including from our supply chain, and help meet the increasing global demand for the low carbon aluminium.”

EGA was the first aluminium producer and the first Middle East company to join global shipping and maritime sustainability initiative, the Sea Cargo Charter, in 2023.

In 2022, EGA signed an agreement with one of its shipping partners, K Line, to develop and implement new marine decarbonization technologies suitable for EGA’s bulk cargo shipping routes in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean.

LNG-fueled ships can achieve up to 28% lower greenhouse gas emissions on a tank-to-wake basis compared to vessels using traditional marine bunker fuel, according to SEA-LNG, a multi-sector industry coalition