Brazilian mining giant Vale has let it been known at its quarterly earnings today that it will stop using converted ore carriers to move its cargoes around the world after a host of faults have been detected on these ageing giant steel structures in recent years including the tragic sinking of the Stellar Daisy with the loss of 22 lives and hundreds of thousands of Vale’s sinter fines three years ago.
“Following Vale’s new risk management approach, Vale has decided for the phase-out or substitution of 25 converted vessels (from VLCCs to VLOCs) from its fleet, either through early termination or amendment of contracts,” Vale stated today, a message it had already communicated with many of its shipping partners earlier who have been actively preparing to send their converted ore carriers to scrap yards in recent months.
It’s alternate hold loading that is the root cause of so many losses of Cape size and larger Bulk Carriers, should have been banned following the Derbyshire incident, would have saved over 1,000 Seafarer lives