Shipping firms prefer to load nickel ores than coal

By Cepi Setiadi

Shipping companies currently prefer to load nickel ores than coal as it is more profitable to transport the former commodity.

"Currently nickel trade is better than coal, so many shipping services firms prefer to load nickel," Adi Kusumah, CEO of PT Anugrah Lautan Luas, an Indonesia-based coal transshipment company, told Petromindo.com Monday. He added that the vessels use to deliver nickel ores range from barges to panamax types.

He did not provide details. Earlier today, CEO of coal miner PT United Coal Indonesia, Taufik Surya Darma, complained that his company had been facing difficulties in getting vessels to transport coal to its customers at home and overseas. Taufik said that shipping firms prefer to use their vessels to transport nickel ores.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak