Lightering Operations

We offer comprehensive shipping and logistic solutions for dry bulk cargo, including cargo handling and transportation services. Under our cargo handling segment, we provide STS (Ship to Ship) Lighterage, Stevedoring and other port services including cargo management services.

Lightering, also known as lighterage, is the process of transferring cargo from one vessel to another, typically from a larger “mother” vessel to a smaller vessel such as a barge or mini bulk carrier (known as “Daughter vessel”). This STS (ship-to-ship) transfer method is used to load or unload cargo efficiently, allowing larger vessels to offload some of their cargo to navigate shallower waters or reach ports with draft restrictions. Economical shipment of commodities like coal, sulphur, per-coke and iron-ore requires the use of large bulk carriers. When ports are too shallow to accommodate large carrier vessel, have a narrow entrance or have a major tidal variation, lighterage services allows offshore loading and unloading of the cargos into smaller vessels such as barges or mini bulk carriers.