Pool Operations: Taking care of your vessels as our own!

In 2022, Klaveness Chartering and the Baumarine by MaruKlav Pool concluded 124 grain and alumina standard hold inspections, up 22% from 2021 and 48% of the total was carried out by the Baumarine Pool fleet. For Klaveness and the Baumarine Pool, alternating between clean and dirty cargoes at the right timing is crucial when positioning the fleet in highest paying areas.

Putting the members’ interests front and center

A total of 37% of the cargoes loaded by the Pool in 2022 were ‘clean’ products and here are some of the protective measures put in place to ensure members’ interests come first:

• Cargo protective clauses mean special attention is paid to taking precautions before loading, saving time for cleaning and to make sure the cargo holds maintain their standard for as long as the vessel trades in the Pool.
• Hull cleaning to prevent fouling during long-stays in tropical waters.
• Installation of a cleaning kit aboard the vessels entering the Pool, with all required chemicals and high-pressure washing machines needed:

o Chemicals purchased by Klaveness and Baumarine in 2022 equated to $634,000 ($75.29/day), a saving compared to 2021 despite more hold cleanings carried out
o Hold failure and chemicals and equipment cost was $130.44/day, or 0.57 % of the daily voyage cost
o There were zero inspection fails from lacking chemicals and equipment aboard

• A cleaning bonus given to crew after holds are washed down between every cargo to prevent any permanent staining when making the switch from dirty to clean.

Pool member MV Crimson Kingdom

Collaboration between Chartering and Operations – the key to success

Dagfinn Asmyhr, Senior Operations Manager, comments: “We keep a high focus on maintaining and improving the condition of the vessels under our operations, where switching from dirty to clean cargos is crucial to success. Our teams add significant value to the end result by closely monitoring each hold cleaning operation before the grain fixture is made until when the vessel finally passes the strict hold inspections. We maintain a close dialogue with the Masters who send us updates and reports from day one so we constantly evaluate any risk and give feedback on how to improve the cleaning processes and keep all holds are up to the required standards.”

Aylin Coskun, Head of Partner Success and Pool Operations, comments: “A differentiating factor in our daily business is top-notch cooperation between our Chartering and Operations desks worldwide. Working as one team goes from Chartering choosing the right vessels for clean cargoes with an improved screening process, to Operations starting their processes as early as possible in supplying chemicals, equipment, and clear instructions on what is needed. 2023 looks promising, with our Chartering and Operations teams fully committed to maintaining our quality standards and the hard work that goes with it!”
Source: Torvald Klaveness