Shipping Wood Pellets by Container vs Bulk Vessel
When to ship wood pellets in 20' and 40' containers, when to charter a handysize bulker, and how the economics flip around 3,000 tonnes.
Ocean freight is usually the single biggest line item in a delivered wood pellet price. Choosing container vs bulk vessel decides the cost per tonne.
Container shipping
Suits volumes from one container up to a few hundred tonnes. Fast, flexible, port-to-port pricing is widely quoted. Rates spike with global container-market volatility.
Bulk vessel shipping
Handysize (25–40k DWT) or supramax vessels move 3,000–50,000 tonnes at a fraction of container cost per tonne — but you need silo storage or a mechanical loader at both ports, plus stevedoring.
The crossover point
Roughly around 3,000 tonnes per shipment, bulk becomes cheaper than containers on typical Baltic-to-Mediterranean or US-Gulf-to-Europe routes. Below that, containers win.
Insurance
Both modes need marine cargo insurance sized to CIF + 10%. Wood pellets are a Category-C IMSBC cargo — fully declarable — and the shipbroker will require an IMO group letter for bulk moves.
Pellet Industries ships ENplus A1 and industrial biomass pellets worldwide in 15 kg bags, big-bags, and bulk vessel loads.
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