Dry bulk STS transfer push grows

Once considered a niche activity, STS operations in dry bulk are increasingly part of everyday logistics, driven by the rise of larger vessels and constraints in port infrastructure across key trading regions. As a result, more cargo is being transferred offshore, often under complex and variable conditions.

However, unlike the tanker sector where STS practices have been shaped over decades through frameworks developed by organisations such as the Oil Companies International Marine Forum, dry bulk operations have evolved without a unified approach.

Opening the session, INTERCARGO chair John Xylas highlighted the urgency of the issue. “STS in dry bulk is no longer a niche activity. It is something the industry is already doing and doing more of,” he said.

The discussion, which included contributions from major industry players, underscored the operational complexity involved. Each transfer requires coordination between multiple parties, while factors such as weather, draft limitations and equipment availability can shift risk profiles rapidly.

A key focus of the meeting was INTERCARGO’s newly developed ‘Ship-to-Ship Transfer Guidelines for Bulk Carriers’, described as an important step toward greater consistency in operations.

As STS activity continues to expand, INTERCARGO is calling for wider industry engagement. Greater alignment, it says, will be critical not only for safety and efficiency, but also as regulatory and environmental expectations around offshore operations continue to evolve.