Ambatovy looks to DHL Global Forwarding for project logistics

DHL Global Forwarding has inked a three-year global freight forwarding agreement with Ambatovy, a joint venture between Sherritt International Corp, Sumitomo Corp and Korea Resources Corp.
The deal encompasses two contracts, according to which the freight forwarding division of Deutsche Post DHL will provide onshore and offshore services for Ambatovy.
For the onshore contract, DHL became responsible for providing import customs clearance for airfreight shipments of mining spare parts into Madagascar, with delivery from Antananarivo to the Ambatovy mine site at Moramanga and the plant at Toamasina by means of daily shuttle services.

For the offshore deal, DHL will handle international air and ocean freight importing of mining equipment to support Ambatovy’s nickel, cobalt and ammonium sulphate production, consolidated at key DHL hubs in the US, Europe and China.
DHL’s Material Management System (MMS), an in-house information management system that shares information and controls business processes, will be helpful in this area, the integrator said.
Through the MMS, Ambatovy will have real-time visibility of its shipments during any movements.
All the work involved with the deals will be handled by DHL Global Forwarding’s Industrial Projects team, which is a specialist in very large breakbulk and complex project logistics.
Nikola Hagleitner, chief executive of industrial projects, DHL Global Forwarding, remarked: “This agreement is especially meaningful as it enables DHL to help Ambatovy manage its supply chain in order to sustain its operations in Madagascar.
“Our partnership will enable Ambatovy to tap into our global expertise in project forwarding, and extensive network spanning over 220 countries and territories – enabling us to operate efficiently even in challenging and remote locations, and more importantly, facilitate global trade flows and the development of infrastructure globally.”

Steven Cox, Director, supply chain management for Ambatovy, commented: “It is critical we have direct access to our global suppliers in order to keep the operations up and running.
“With their track record in these areas, we are convinced they are the right partner to drive improvements in our supply chain and business.”

Ambatovy is a nickel and cobalt mining enterprise, which at full capacity expects to produce 60,000 tonnes of refined nickel, 5,600 tonnes of refined cobalt and 210,000 tonnes of ammonium sulphate fertilizer each year.