How much does bulk carrier hold cleaning cost? What drives the price and what a quote should include

How is hold cleaning charged?

There are three common models, and a good contractor will tell you which they're using and why.

Lump sum per hold (or per ship). A fixed price for taking a defined number of holds from a defined condition to a defined standard. Simple to budget, but only fair when the scope is clear. Expect the contractor to ask a lot of questions, and to exclude anything they can't see in advance, such as heavy scaling or set cement.

Day rate per gang. You pay for a team of a stated size, per day or per shift, plus equipment and chemicals. This suits jobs where the scope is uncertain, or where the gang works alongside cargo operations and time depends on how quickly holds empty.

Riding crew rate. Riding crew are typically priced per person per day while on board, plus mobilisation and demobilisation (flights, visas, crew change logistics), plus equipment and chemicals. The days on board include the passage, so a longer passage means more days, but also more cleaning done without losing port time.

Is hold cleaning charged per hold or per day? Both are common. Per hold is easier for routine jobs; per day is fairer for uncertain ones.

What affects the price of cargo hold cleaning?

• Previous cargo. Petcoke, coal and cement cost more to clean than grain or clean ores. Petcoke hold cleaning is usually at the top of the range because of the chemical stage and the work on the upper structure.
• Required standard. Grain clean costs much more than normal clean. Hospital clean may involve coating repair, which is a different kind of job.
• Ship size. More holds, bigger holds and taller holds mean more surface area and harder access.
• Condition of the holds. Heavy loose rust or broken coating adds scaling time.
• Time available. A job that must be done in 24 hours needs more people and more equipment than the same job over four days.
• Location. Labour costs, port access rules, launch hire and local regulations vary a lot between ports.
• Access. Upper frames that need rope access, a cherry picker or staging add cost, but usually less than the cost of failing an inspection.
• Chemicals and fresh water. Who supplies them? How much?
• Wash water and residue disposal. If wash water or residue has to go ashore under MARPOL Annex V or local rules, there are reception facility costs.

How much does HP equipment rental cost?

HP pump rental is usually charged per day or per job, sometimes with a deposit. It varies with pressure rating (a 500-bar unit costs more than a 200-bar unit), hoses and lances included, and delivery to the ship. If you're using a shore gang, their equipment is normally in the price. Check that's stated.

How much does chemical cleaning cost?

The chemical itself is usually priced per litre or per drum, and the quantity depends on surface area and residue. The bigger cost is often the labour and time for the chemical stage, not the product. Cheaper chemicals that need two passes can cost more overall.

What should be included in a hold cleaning quotation?

Before you compare quotes, make sure each one says:

• Number of holds and vessel type/size
• Previous cargo and the cleanliness standard to be achieved
• Location: alongside, anchorage or on passage
• Team size and estimated duration
• Equipment supplied (HP pumps, pressure, combi-guns, access equipment)
• Chemicals supplied, product type and quantity
• Fresh water: who supplies it
• Residue and wash water disposal: who arranges and pays
• PPE and safety documentation
• Launch, transport and port access costs
• What happens if the hold fails inspection (re-clean terms)
• Exclusions: heavy scaling, coating repair, set cement and so on

Quotes that leave half of these blank aren't cheaper. They're incomplete.

What does a delay cost compared to hold cleaning?

This is the comparison that matters. A ship's daily hire rate depends on size and market, but for a Supramax it has typically sat somewhere between US$10,000 and US$20,000 a day in recent years. Check the current index for today's figure. Every day lost to a failed inspection or slow cleaning is a day of that, plus possible knock-on costs: missed laycan, lost berth slot, or a cancelled fixture.

So the real question isn't "how much does hold cleaning cost?" It's "how much does it cost compared to the days it saves?" A riding crew that cleans on a ballast passage the ship was making anyway costs money but no port time. Ship's crew costs no extra wages but may cost days.

Who pays for cargo hold cleaning?

It depends on the charterparty. Some general patterns:

• Under a voyage charter, removing cargo residues is normally for the owner's account, but charterparties vary and may shift specific costs to the charterer.
• Under a time charter, hold cleaning between cargoes is often the charterer's cost, with the crew cleaning as part of normal duties and charterers paying a lump sum or "intermediate hold cleaning" fee under some forms. On redelivery there's often a lump sum in lieu of cleaning.
• HME residues: BIMCO's HME cargo residues clause for voyage charters shifts extra time and cost for storing and disposing of HME residues and wash water to the charterer, as Skuld's guidance points out.

Is hold cleaning owner's or charterer's responsibility? Read the charterparty, and if it's ambiguous, agree it in writing before the work starts. We cover the details in a separate guide on who is responsible for hold cleaning.

Getting a useful quote

To get an accurate quote fast, tell the contractor the vessel type and size, number of holds, previous cargo, next cargo and standard, location and dates, and time available. Photos of the holds after discharge help enormously. Send them to us and we'll come back with a priced scope, not a guess.