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CharterDeckby Orion Marine

Cement & clinker shipping · dry bulk

Charter a vessel for your cement or clinker cargo.

Clinker in bulk, bulk cement and bagged cement. CharterDeck's AI analyses the cargo, the load terminal and the discharge port, screens ships on gear, grabs, draft and hold condition, and compares the voyage economics; your broker then works the owners and negotiates the fixture.

Discharge planned first
Ship's cranes and grabs matched to what the receiving port has.
The right ship type
Bulk carrier, cement carrier or general cargo ship, by how the cargo is packed and handled.
Broker-led fixture
Your broker confirms the gear and cleaning terms with the owner and negotiates the freight.

How AI helps with cement and clinker

With cement and clinker, the discharge end often decides the ship. CharterDeck's AI starts there, so your broker isn't chasing ships that cannot work the berth:

  • Checks whether the discharge port has shore cranes, or needs a geared ship with grabs
  • Matches ship size to the draft and berth limits at the load terminal and the discharge port
  • Separates cargoes that need a dedicated cement carrier from those a bulk carrier or general cargo ship can take
  • Counts hold cleaning after discharge in the comparison, because cement residue has to be removed before the next cargo
  • Compares the ships on freight, port time and cleaning cost together, and ranks them with the reasons

Clinker, bulk cement and bagged cement move differently

Clinker is a coarse, abrasive bulk cargo, typically loaded by shiploader and discharged by grab. Bulk cement usually moves on dedicated cement carriers with enclosed, pneumatic handling. Bagged cement travels on general cargo and bulk ships, in bags or big bags, often on pallets.

Dust and cleaning

Cement and clinker are dusty, and ports may set dust-control conditions for loading and discharge. After discharge the holds need thorough cleaning; the time and cost of that cleaning belong in the voyage comparison.

Gear at the discharge end

Some receiving ports for clinker and bagged cement rely on the ship's own cranes and grabs. Where that is the case, a geared ship and grabs of a suitable size are part of the fixture, not a detail for later.

Moving clinker or cement? Send the cargo form, ports and laycan, and get ships that can work both berths.

Send your cargo

Which ships suit cement and clinker

Common patterns only: parcel size, ports and terminal equipment decide the ship.
Cargo formTypical shipWhat matters
Clinker in bulkHandysize to supramax bulk carriersGrabs at discharge, draft, dust control
Bulk cementCement carriers (pneumatic)Terminal compatibility at both ends
Bagged cementGeneral cargo or bulk carriersBag type, stowage and discharge rate
Common patterns only: parcel size, ports and terminal equipment decide the ship.

What your broker needs to find ships and quote

  • Cargo form: clinker, bulk cement or bagged cement
  • Quantity and tolerance
  • Load terminal and discharge port, with the shore equipment at each
  • Bag type and weight, if bagged
  • Laycan and load and discharge terms
  • Any dust-control or cleaning requirements

What moves the freight

  • Ship type and size for the cargo form
  • Ballast distance to the load terminal
  • Discharge rate, and whether the ship's own gear does the work
  • Port costs and waiting time at the discharge end
  • Hold cleaning after discharge
  • The market for the size and the trade at the time

How a cement and clinker fixture runs with CharterDeck

  • You send the requirement, in a minute with the form or as you would circulate it
  • Our AI structures it, screens suitable ships and compares the voyage economics
  • Your broker reviews the shortlist with you and checks every point the AI has flagged
  • Your broker works the owners and negotiates freight and terms
  • The recap is issued from the agreed terms, and the voyage is followed to discharge

Questions, answered

Can clinker go on a normal bulk carrier?
Yes. Clinker is commonly carried on conventional bulk carriers and discharged by grab. The ship's size and gear depend on the ports at each end.
Do I need a cement carrier for bulk cement?
Usually, when the cement is discharged pneumatically into a terminal. Bagged cement and clinker don't need one. Tell us how the cargo is packed and handled at each end.
Do you work cement and clinker exports from Türkiye?
Yes. Cement and clinker from Turkish ports are among the trades our Istanbul desk works most closely.