Industrial Plant Feedstocks·COA Laycan Fixtures

Primary Aluminum Smelter Hub

Q: Does CBIL handle both dry bulk bauxite/alumina and liquid caustic soda?

Yes. Our industrial desk manages both dry bulk minerals and high-density liquid chemicals. This dual capability allows smelter procurement teams to contract all primary inputs through one counterparty desk.

Q: What vessel sizes does LaycanDesk recommend for alumina shipments?

Ultramax bulk carriers (60,000–64,000 DWT) with box-shaped holds or pneumatic self-unloading fittings represent the global standard for international alumina trades into the Arabian Gulf and Asia.

Q: How are quality and impurity tolerances enforced?

Independent surveyors (SGS, Bureau Veritas, or Intertek) perform continuous automatic sampling at terminal conveyor belts and manifold sample points, guaranteeing contracted specs for Fe, Si, Na₂O, and TML.

Bauxite, smelter alumina, caustic soda 50% & anode petcoke supply chain

Modern primary aluminum smelters operate continuously for decades; a power interruption or feedstock shortfall of even a few hours causes catastrophic potline freezing. Producing one metric tonne of primary aluminum metal demands approximately 2 tonnes of smelter-grade alumina (which in turn requires 4 to 5 tonnes of bauxite and 150 kg of caustic soda), plus 400 kg of carbon anodes made from calcined petroleum coke and coal tar pitch.

CBIL structures multi-year supply chains connecting major bauxite mines in West Africa and Australia, Gulf chlor-alkali plants, and refinery coker units directly to smelter holding silos. Working directly with LaycanDesk, we optimize vessel draft constraints, supervise IMSBC bauxite moisture limits, and coordinate specialized chemical parcel tankers for liquid caustic soda to protect potline production schedules.

Procurement & Freight Structure

Dual-loop execution: physical commodity brokerage + ocean charterparty.

Annual Plant Volume300,000 to 2,500,000+ MT per smelter

Physical Commodity Fee$1.00 – $2.50 / MT

LaycanDesk Ocean Brokerage1.25% on gross ocean freight

Primary Vessel ClassesUltramax Bulk (60,000 – 64,000 DWT for Alumina / Petcoke)

Standard CharterpartyGENCON 94 (voyage charter)

Laycan Nomination Window7-day laycan window; quarterly COA laycan schedule with +/- 5 days flexibility

Strategic Advantage

Seamless execution of high-volume dry bulk ore (Ultramax/Panamax) and high-density liquid chemicals (parcel tankers) under unified procurement governance.

Technical Specification Matrix

Procured Feedstocks & Maritime Profiles

Each raw material is contracted on chemical purity, physical particle sizing, and mandatory IMO/IMSBC code stowage factors to prevent liquefaction or contamination.

Feedstock	Grade & Purity Spec	Form / Carriage	IMSBC Code	Stowage Factor	Typical Parcel	Links
Metallurgical Bauxite OreAl₂O₃·2H₂O	TAA 44.0% – 48.0% · Reactive Silica (RSi) ≤ 2.2%	Run-of-mine unwashed or washed ore (0–100mm)	Group A	27 – 31 cu.ft/MT (0.76 – 0.88 m³/t)	60,000 – 80,000 MT (Kamsarmax) / up to 180,000 MT (Capesize)	Spec →Ship →
Smelter-Grade Calcined AluminaAl₂O₃	≥ 98.5% Al₂O₃ purity (sandy metallurgical)	Dry, free-flowing white sandy powder (Blaine 70–80 m²/g)	Group C	35 – 39 cu.ft/MT (0.99 – 1.10 m³/t)	50,000 – 70,000 MT (Ultramax / Panamax)	Spec →Ship →
Liquid Caustic Soda 50% (Aqueous NaOH)NaOH (aq)	50.0% – 51.0% NaOH concentration (membrane grade)	Clear, viscous heavy liquid (SG 1.52 at 20°C)	IMO Liquid / Chemical	23.6 cu.ft/MT (liquid) (0.66 m³/t)	8,000 – 20,000 MT (Chemical parcel tanker)	Spec →Ship →
Calcined Petroleum Coke (Anode Grade)C (carbon matrix)	Real density ≥ 2.06 g/cm³ · Sulphur ≤ 2.0% – 3.0%	Dry black porous sponge granules (0–15mm)	Group C	46 – 52 cu.ft/MT (1.30 – 1.47 m³/t)	40,000 – 60,000 MT (Supramax / Ultramax)	Spec →Ship →

Bauxite OreIncoterms: FOB, CFR

Metallurgical Bauxite Ore

Trihydrate gibbsitic bauxite from Guinea and Australia, providing high total available alumina (TAA) at low digestion temperatures with low caustic consumption.

Total Available Alumina (TAA):≥ 44.0% – 48.0%

Reactive Silica (RSi):≤ 1.8% – 2.4%

Total Silica (SiO₂):≤ 2.8% – 3.5%

Moisture Content:≤ 9.0% – 11.5% (TML tested)

Particle Size:0–100mm (low fines)

Smelter AluminaIncoterms: FOB, CFR

Smelter-Grade Calcined Alumina

High-grade sandy calcined alumina with low alpha phase (<10%) and rapid cryolite dissolution kinetics, tailored for high-amperage modern reduction cells.

Alumina (Al₂O₃):≥ 98.5% min

Soda (Na₂O):≤ 0.35% – 0.40%

Iron Oxide (Fe₂O₃):≤ 0.015% max

Silica (SiO₂):≤ 0.020% max

Loss on Ignition (LOI 300–1000°C):≤ 0.8% – 1.0%

Caustic Soda 50%Incoterms: FOB, CFR

Liquid Caustic Soda 50% (Aqueous NaOH)

Membrane chlor-alkali sodium hydroxide solution used in Bayer-process refineries to digest raw bauxite into soluble sodium aluminate. Low chlorate and chloride.

Assay (NaOH):50.0% – 51.0% wt

Specific Gravity:1.524 at 20°C

Sodium Chloride (NaCl):≤ 100 ppm max

Sodium Chlorate (NaClO₃):≤ 20 ppm max

Iron (Fe):≤ 5.0 ppm max

Calcined PetcokeIncoterms: FOB, CFR

Calcined Petroleum Coke (Anode Grade)

Rotary kiln calcined petroleum coke with low metals (vanadium <250 ppm, nickel <180 ppm) for manufacturing prebaked carbon anode blocks in reduction potlines.

Real Density:≥ 2.06 – 2.08 g/cm³

Sulphur (S):≤ 1.8% – 3.0%

Ash Content:≤ 0.35% – 0.50%

Vanadium (V):≤ 200 – 250 ppm

CO₂ Reactivity:≥ 85% residue

LaycanDesk Integration

Ocean Chartering & Laycan Programme

Plant downtime and demurrage at loading/discharge terminals can rapidly exceed commodity trading margins. LaycanDesk synchronizes vessel size matching, Notice of Readiness (NOR) tenders, and continuous laytime tracking.

Vessel ClassesUltramax Bulk (60,000 – 64,000 DWT for Alumina / Petcoke) · Kamsarmax / Panamax Bulk (75,000 – 82,000 DWT for Bauxite / Alumina) · Capesize Bulk (180,000 DWT for high-volume Guinea bauxite) · Chemical Parcel Tankers (10,000 – 25,000 DWT, Epoxy / Stainless for Liquid Caustic)

Standard Charterparty FormsGENCON 94 (voyage charter) · NYPE 2015 (time charter trip) · ASBATANKVOY / BIMCHEMVOY 2008 (for liquid caustic parcel tankers)

Loading Benchmark15,000 – 30,000 MT/day WWD SHINC (bauxite) · 400 – 600 MT/hr (caustic soda)

Discharge Benchmark8,000 – 15,000 MT/day pneumatic/grab (dry bulk) · 350 – 500 MT/hr (caustic soda)

Laycan Spread7-day laycan window; quarterly COA laycan schedule with +/- 5 days flexibility

Demurrage Benchmark$16,000 – $25,000/day (dry bulk) · $19,000 – $27,000/day (caustic tanker)

COA & Maritime Execution Rules

Bauxite Liquefaction and IMSBC Schedule Compliance

Bauxite carries a designated IMSBC schedule with mandatory moisture sampling within 7 days prior to loading. TML limits must be strictly verified before loading during West African rainy seasons.

Pneumatic Alumina Holds & Cleanliness Standards

Smelter alumina requires Hospital Clean hold inspections before loading. Any traces of previous coal, ore, or rust cause rejection due to potline contamination risks.

Liquid Caustic Tank Temperature Management

50% Caustic soda crystallizes at 12°C. Chemical tankers fixed by LaycanDesk carry operational heating coils maintaining cargo temperature between 25°C and 35°C during sea transit and discharge.

High-Volume Berth Turnaround & Draft Sizing

Modern smelter ports (such as Sohar, Jebel Ali, and Khalifa) operate deepwater berths accommodating up to 14.5m draft. Vessel nominations are matched to high-rate gantry unloaders to prevent port congestion.

Primary Load Ports

• Port Kamsar & Boffa (Guinea - Bauxite)
• Bunbury & Gladstone (Australia - Alumina)
• US Gulf & Corpus Christi (Petcoke & Caustic Soda)
• Jubail & Yanbu (Saudi Arabia - Caustic Soda & Petcoke)
• Mesaieed (Qatar - Caustic Soda)

Key Discharge Regions

• Middle East Smelters (Sohar, Jebel Ali, Khalifa Port, Askar Bahrain, Mesaieed)
• India (Paradip, Dhamra, Visakhapatnam)
• China (Fangchenggang, Yantai, Zhanjiang)
• North America & Europe (Iceland, Norway, Quebec)

Procurement & Maritime Governance

Frequently Asked Questions

Does CBIL handle both dry bulk bauxite/alumina and liquid caustic soda?

Yes. Our industrial desk manages both dry bulk minerals and high-density liquid chemicals. This dual capability allows smelter procurement teams to contract all primary inputs through one counterparty desk.

What vessel sizes does LaycanDesk recommend for alumina shipments?

Ultramax bulk carriers (60,000–64,000 DWT) with box-shaped holds or pneumatic self-unloading fittings represent the global standard for international alumina trades into the Arabian Gulf and Asia.

How are quality and impurity tolerances enforced?

Independent surveyors (SGS, Bureau Veritas, or Intertek) perform continuous automatic sampling at terminal conveyor belts and manifold sample points, guaranteeing contracted specs for Fe, Si, Na₂O, and TML.

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