VESCO, one of the global leaders in the production and supply of ceramic raw materials, has resumed direct shipping from Ukrainian seaports. The bulk carrier Super Bergkamp has departed from the Pivdennyi seaport and is headed for Spain. It is the first direct shipment of a large batch of Ukrainian clay in the last two years. This logistical optimisation is going to reduce the cost of ceramic raw materials and increase the supply of Ukrainian clay to the global market.
The Super Bergkamp carries 52 thousand tonnes of clay for the Spanish company Arciblansa. VESCO is already preparing the next batch for direct shipment by sea, scheduled for mid-April 2024. The reduction in logistics costs will further VESCO’s goal of supplying reasonably priced raw materials to meet the needs of European ceramics manufacturers.
Despite the destruction of infrastructure and logistics disruption caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, VESCO continued its activities with only a brief suspension of its Ukrainian assets in 2022. During 2022 and 2023, the company employed alternative supply routes to ship ceramic raw materials from Ukraine to foreign markets.
“The Ukrainian economy is recovering, and the restoration of supply chains is part of that process”, Dmytro Kostornichenko, Chief Commercial Officer of VESCO says. “Resuming the use of these cost-efficient routes will enable VESCO to supply more high-quality materials for European and global producers, thus contributing to the development of the world ceramic industry and strengthening the economic ties between Ukraine and the EU”.
Spain is the first country to receive direct sea shipping of VESCO clay this year. It is one of the largest manufacturers of ceramics in Europe. In 2023, the demand for clay for the production of fine ceramics and refractories in Spain amounted to 2.4 million tonnes. Until 2022, Spain accounted for over 25% of the group’s total sales. VESCO clays have been an important ingredient in Spanish ceramic tile formulations for years. This logistics optimisation will allow VESCO to resume closer cooperation with Spanish manufacturers.
