Is bauxite really new cargo? Or do they mean ship-operators need to be careful when switching to bauxite cargo?
And any particular reason for loading these cargoes with water? Why not dry?
"The International Maritime Organisation has codes governing how much moisture is allowed in solid bulk cargo in order to prevent liquefaction. So why does it still happen? The technical answer is that the existing guidance on stowing and shipping solid bulk cargoes is too simplistic."
My read on it was that bauxite was new as a solid bulk cargo, not that bauxite itself was a new cargo in general. I know nothing of the industry however, so I'm not sure whether this is a legitimate interpretation or not.
Dry bulk cargo is almost always discharged with grabs and cranes, not pumps.
So, no.
Ideally, is mined, then either stored somewhere dry, out of the weather, or delivered directly to the ship in a covered train/conveyor belt.
In reality, it's usually mined, then stored in a big pile outside in the weather for weeks/months until it's loaded. It won't pass the pre-loading transportable moisture limit (TML) tests, so they falsify the results.
A cargo with a slightly high TML can appear dry on loading, but the vibration causes the moisture to migrate down to the bottom of the hold and cause the cargo at the bottom to liquify. When the ship rolls, this layer shifts, and the rest with it.
Obviously, if the TML is way too high, the whole thing turns to slurry.
Normal bilge pumps can't cope with slurry.