Bulk cargo
Dry cargoes transported in bulk, without packaging, are classified as bulk cargoes. These include ores and ore concentrates, fertilizers, various types of meal, grain, raw sugar, and others.
For the purposes of sea transportation, such cargoes are handled by specialized vessels — bulk carriers. These vessels are designed with large cargo holds and may not be equipped with onboard cargo handling gear.
Bulk cargoes do not require special stowage or securing during loading, but handling them in ports demands specialized berths, storage facilities, equipment, and transport infrastructure. Since these types of cargo are often shipped in large volumes — typically ranging from 1,000 to 150,000 tons per vessel — ports must be capable of managing such scale. Cargoes that do not require covered or climate-controlled storage, such as iron ore or ore concentrates, are usually stored in open yards with sufficient capacity for simultaneous storage.
When shipping large vessel-size lots, a common challenge is the limited availability of storage space. In such cases, effective transport logistics becomes essential, allowing continuous delivery of the remaining cargo to the port while loading is already in progress. This process may be carried out using a combined method: loading from both the warehouse and directly from transport vehicles — known as “direct loading”. This approach requires not only specialized handling equipment but also precise planning and coordination of the entire operation.
To accumulate a full vessel lot of bulk cargo — for example, grain — the port must have a high-capacity grain elevator with covered storage or silos, as well as developed infrastructure. This ensures fast intake from trucks and/or railcars, followed by prompt loading onto the vessel. Minimizing the vessel’s time at berth is a critical factor that directly affects the overall cost of sea freight.
Organization of Bulk Cargo Transportation — Graincom Shipping
When arranging sea transportation of bulk cargo, it is essential to choose a port and terminal with the appropriate loading equipment and storage capacity for safe transshipment and storage. In addition to technical capabilities and the cost of cargo handling operations, other factors must be considered — such as port infrastructure fees, services from related companies, storage costs, and port dues — all of which impact the total logistics rate offered to the client.
Our company has extensive experience in organizing the transshipment of various bulk cargoes. We maintain long-standing partnerships with the key cargo terminals and port administrations in southern Ukraine. We offer not only technical expertise in handling a wide range of cargo types, but also practical, hands-on experience — solving complex logistics challenges on a daily basis.
Bulk Cargo Transshipment — Izmail Port, Galaktika Terminal
Graincom Shipping provides a full range of services for cargo transshipment, storage, and logistics support at the Galaktika transshipment terminal, located in Izmail, Nakhimova Street, 296-A (86 km of the Danube River). We handle not only grain but also bulk, bagged, unitized, and big-bag cargoes.
The terminal is equipped with two floor storage warehouses:
- Warehouse No. 1 (single-section) — area: 865 m², capacity: 3200 m³, holds up to 2500 tons of wheat or 2300 tons of corn;
- Warehouse No. 2 (two-section) — area: 1536 m², capacity: 7370 m³, holds up to 5600 tons of wheat or 5000 tons of corn.
Cargo is received from trucks (up to 80 vehicles per day) and via a railway line that can handle up to 48 wagons per day. Loading onto vessels is carried out via three transshipment lines following the “truck/wagon – vessel” scheme. The terminal berth accepts vessels up to 150 meters in length, with a minimum draft of 7.0 meters.
Graincom Shipping ensures transparent logistics, fast cargo handling, and provides complete reporting at every stage.
Transloading and Forwarding — Izmail Port (Galaktika Terminal):
Volodymyr Bruiev
Mob: +38 (067) 559 11 62
E-mail: v.bruiev@graincomshipping.com