Freight
Highlights
Supporting LDC’s global merchandizing activities, our Freight Platform has grown to become a globally significant chartering entity in the dry bulk market.
250 Vessels
Upgrading Fleet
Digital Capabilities
Fuel Efficiency
About Freight
Our dedicated Freight team operates from offices in Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland and the US.
As a major vessel operator with comprehensive risk management and global commercial presence, our Freight Platform supports the growth of LDC’s other businesses while offering a wide range of services to external clients and partners.
Traditionally focused on agricultural trades, today two-thirds of our chartering activities support diverse third-party customers, including major global miners, steel mills, utilities and other industrial companies.
Our Strengths
Our long journey through volatile shipping cycles has enriched our experience and strong performance record, and our vision for a sustainable future guides our model for continuous improvement to deliver on our long term commitments.
We abide by the highest standards of chartering, compliance and vetting policies to charter safe and efficient vessels.
Focus on Innovation
As an essential driver for our team in the pursuit of efficient and sustainable operations, our transformative mindset centers on two connected efforts:
- We collaborate with top-tier ship owners, shipyards, equipment makers and weather routing companies to optimize our fleet performance;
- As the shipping industry transitions toward greater digitization, we continue to build up our satellite tracking experience and collaborate on new integrated data innovations to stay at the cutting-edge of this ongoing revolution.
In parallel, we continually seek opportunities to improve vessels in our chartered fleet, co-investing with shipowners in the deployment of various energy-saving technologies (such as coating upgrades, wake-equalizing ducts, engine upgrades and others), and running trials using different types and blends of biofuel.
The successful installation and operation of four eSails® on one of our juice carriers, as well as the long term charter of two methanol dual fuel vessels to be delivered in coming years, represent major milestones in our decarbonization journey and underline our commitment to reducing emissions from our shipping operations.
Committed to Sustainability
As responsible freight operators, we fully support the International Maritime Organization’s environmental protection regulations, particularly with regards to ballast water treatment as well emissions reductions, such as SOx and other greenhouse gases.
We continue to seek sustainable and innovative design solutions to the necessary gradual decarbonization of maritime freight, working in partnership with international industry bodies, shipyards and ship owners, as members of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI).
Our goal is to participate actively in the reduction of the maritime carbon footprint.
In 2019 we continued to study the feasibility of carbon-reducing technologies and efficiency designs, such as wind propulsion or LNG dual fuel. We also took part in an SSI working group studying avenues for the use of biofuels in shipping.
We have steadily reduced our CO2 emissions over the last two years, through optimized routing and investment in more efficient tonnage.