As demand for West African dry bulk commodities continues to increase, the challenges of inadequate infrastructure, road and rail access as well limited storage facilities continue to add cost and reduce efficiency for mine owners, intermediaries, and consignees.

As one of the world’s leading iron ore, manganese, bauxite producers West African countries have huge potential to drive economic growth in the region.

Shi.E.L.D. Services is a pioneer in dry bulk transhipment and the challenging environment has provided opportunities for the company.

“We work in some of the toughest environments in the world and have decades of problem-solving experience in remote locations. We have successfully been able to apply that experience and knowledge to support our mining customers working in West Africa,” said Corrado Cuccurullo, CEO of Shi.E.L.D. Services.

Shi.E.L.D. works in partnership with private infrastructure development companies to ensure that bulk commodities are efficiently shipped from the mine to ship via the company’s purpose-built transhippers.

The company has been able to design, build and manage transhippers to suit the conditions of each project, with the shallow draft being a common issue, preventing large bulk carriers from berthing at ports. Shi.E.L.D.’s transhippers provide a highly efficient automated link between barges and mother ships, with state-of-the-art cranes and conveyor equipment able to operate 24 hours a day in practically all-weather conditions.

The company is also seeing growth in Indonesia, where forecasts are for coal exports to reach 695 million tons in 2023. New assets and infrastructure improvements are also being made in the Indonesian coal sector to support the growth in demand.

Indonesia is also the largest producer of nickel, a crucial raw material used in the production of stainless steel and other alloys and demand for the metal is also on the rise. Indonesia has large reserves of nickel ore, which is primarily found in the provinces of Sulawesi and Halmahera.

Over the five years to 2021, production from Indonesia increased by a CAGR of 30% and is expected to rise by a CAGR of 4% between 2022 and 2026.