Australia: Reinstated NCIG ship loader goes kaput, costs spiral for shippers

The Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group’s (NCIG) ship loader, which was out of operation since Nov’20 and reinstated on 20 Jul this year, has become non-functional again, with the queue of ships outside the port facility extending beyond 40 vessels, as per latest reports. NCIG loaded 11 vessels in the first 13 days of Aug compared with 16 in the first 13 days of Jul and 17 in the first 13 days of Jun, despite the new ship loader officially being reinstated. Demurrage at the port is resulting in costs escalating for shippers using the port.