The West of England P&I Club issues Safety Alert regarding cargo not being safe for carriage due the possibility of liquefaction as follows:

The Managers are aware of a number of cases where Members have been offered bulk cargoes of zinc concentrate from Bar, Montenegro for discharge in China.

However, tests of the material have found that the cargo is not safe for carriage due the possibility of liquefaction. Zinc concentrate is a Group A product which is listed in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code under the schedule for "Mineral Concentrates".

The material from Bar, which has been variously described to potential carriers as zinc oxide, zinc ore and pyrites, is the by-product of a zinc processing plant in Kosovo which has been dumped in large spoil heaps over the years. Previously the product was unwanted as it was uneconomic to process it further.

However, high metal prices and improved extraction methods have led to material from the spoil heaps being purchased for shipment. The spoil heaps have never been protected from precipitation and tests in the past have shown the material to have a moisture content of up to 31%, exceeding the Transportable Moisture Limit (TML) by a considerable margin.

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Source: The West of England P&I Club