The maritime vision

I had the chance to interview Ishan Bhanu, who has over 15 years of experience in the grains industry.

In this episode, we take a closer look at the world's largest grain commodities: wheat, corn, and soybeans.

Episode chapters:

3:57 – The world's largest grain-producing commodities

5:40 – Wheat explained

11:20 – Corn explained

16:00 – Soybeans explained

18:25 – Soft commodities: A brief comparison

20:18 – Food security: The case of the Middle East

25:45 – The supply chain: From farmer to end user

35:30 – How grains are traded

46:25 – Grain grades and quality

A great episode for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of the grains industry, from production and supply chains to trading and quality.

SHIPPING AND COMMODITY OPERATION CERTIFICATE : https://bit.ly/4jsKV6z

I had the chance to interview with Michael Alter, with over 30 years of experience in the steelmaking industry and experience at companies including ArcelorMittal.

In this episode, we take a deeper look at the blast furnace, from raw materials all the way to the final steel product:

5:25 – Raw Materials for the Blast Furnace

8:35 – Sintering Explained 9:38 – Pellets vs. Sinter

13:55 – Coking Coal Explained

19:40 – Slag Explained

20:32 – The Role of Flux

26:40 – The Role of Scrap

27:15 – How a Blast Furnace Works

31:10 – Pig Iron Explained

34:48 – BOF (Basic Oxygen Furnace) Explained

37:30 – Continuous Casting After Refining

39:45 – The Final Step: Making the End Product

A great episode for anyone who wants to understand how the blast furnace actually works and how the different raw materials interact inside the steelmaking process.

SHIPPING AND COMMODITY OPERATION CERTIFICATE : https://bit.ly/4jsKV6z

In this second episode of our steelmaking series, we take a deeper dive into the complete steelmaking process, building on the fundamentals covered in the previous episode.

Our guest, Peter Warren, has over 25 years of experience in the steel industry, having worked as a Blast Furnace Technical Manager, Metallurgist, and Ironmaking Consultant for major steel producers, including British Steel.

We explore blast furnaces, direct reduction, BOF and EAF steelmaking, secondary refining, raw materials, and the future of steel production.

A practical and technical deep dive for anyone looking to better understand how steel is made.

I recommend taking notes throughout the episode, as we cover many important concepts and technical details that are essential to understanding modern steelmaking.

Chapters :

00:30 - Introduction

04:00 – Raw Materials Needed for Steelmaking

05:50 – Blast Furnace–Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF-BOF): Raw Materials

09:50 – Electric Arc Furnace (EAF): Raw Materials

13:45 – Sintering vs. Iron Ore Pelletizing

20:50 – Blast Furnace (BF) Explained

38:54 – Direct Reduction (DR) Explained: Rotary Kiln, DR Furnace & Gas-Based DR

51:10 – Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) & Secondary Refining Explained

58:40 – Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) & Secondary Refining Explained

1:03:40 – World's Largest Steelmaking Countries

1:07:05 – World's Largest Steelmaking Companies

1:11:00 – The Future of Steelmaking

SHIPPING AND COMMODITY OPERATION CERTIFICATE : https://bit.ly/4jsKV6z

In this episode, we cover the complete steelmaking process, from raw materials to finished steel products.

Our guest, Christian Eslava, is a Metallurgical and Materials Engineer with more than 20 years of experience in the steel industry. Throughout his career, he has worked with leading companies including ArcelorMittal, Simec, and other major steel producers.

Whether you're new to the industry or looking to strengthen your knowledge, this course provides a solid introduction to how steel is made.

I recommend taking notes throughout the episode, as we cover many key concepts.

Chapters :

2:48 - What Is Steel?

12:23 - What Is Slag?

16:05 - Raw Materials of Steelmaking: Commodities Explained

30:30 - The Steelmaking Process Explained

34:29 - Blast Furnace Explained 36:50 - Direct Reduction Process Explained

39:45 - Steel Melting: BOF vs EAF Explained

48:20 - Steel Refining: Ladle Furnace & Vacuum Degassing

57:59 - Continuous Casting Explained

1:01:26 - Rolling, Shaping & Coating Steel Products

1:05:50 - Global Steel Industry Leaders

1:10:36 - The Future of Steel: Challenges & Opportunities

SHIPPING AND COMMODITY OPERATION CERTIFICATE : https://bit.ly/4jsKV6z

In this episode, We sit down with Clive Page to follow his 38-year journey in the shipping industry. From starting as a Junior S&P Broker in 1980, to becoming a competitive tanker broker (1986–1992), and later working in-house for shipowners (1995–2018), Clive shares the key lessons, challenges, and opportunities he encountered throughout his career.

This episode covers:

-S&P Broking

-Demolition

-Tanker Chartering

-Dry Bulk Chartering

-Working for Shipowners

Bonus: The differences between each shipping specialty (S&P, Tanker, Dry Bulk and In-House Chartering) and the skills required for each path. A valuable conversation for anyone interested in shipbroking, shipping markets, and building a long-term career in the maritime industry. SHIPPING AND COMMODITY OPERATION CERTIFICATE : https://bit.ly/4jsKV6z

I had the opportunity to interview Richard Klein, Freight Trader with few decades of experience. Richard worked as freight trader at Glencore, Viterra...

In this episode Richard broke down the basics of freight trading and grains chartering.

What you'll learn:

1️⃣ Freight vs commodity trading

2️⃣ Cargo booking explained

3️⃣ Grain houses vs Operators explained

4️⃣ Importance of FFA & Hedging

5️⃣ Grains trade A big thanks to Richard for sharing his time and expertise!

SHIPPING AND COMMODITY OPERATION CERTIFICATE : https://bit.ly/4jsKV6z

In this in-depth masterclass on freight derivatives and Forward Freight Agreements (FFAs), we sit down with Mads Frank Markussen, Head of Freight Research & FFA at Navi Merchants A/S - CM Navigator and former freight trader at Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC).

Episode Topics :

1)FFAs and the Role of Freight Derivatives

2)Baltic Indices and the Panamax Market

3)Hedging vs Speculation in FFA market

4)Long vs Short and Basis Risk Explained

5)FFA contract how it looks like

6)FFA Contracts, Futures, and Options

7)Hedging Panamax Voyages and Period Exposure : real case scenario

CM Navigator : https://cmnavigator.com

SHIPPING AND COMMODITY OPERATION CERTIFICATE : https://bit.ly/4jsKV6z

In this interview, Samuel Basi, former metal trader, breaks down all the key fundamentals of metals trading.

Chapters :

-Different Types of Metals

-Introduction to Metals Trading

-Biggest Exporters and Importers of Metals

-Where Metals Are Traded (Major Hubs)

-How We Trade Metals

-Futures Contracts, Hedging, and the Options Market Explained

Whether you work in shipping, commodities, mining, or you're simply curious, this episode is for you.

If you’re looking for resources to deepen your understanding, check out Samuel’s book

Perfectly Hedged: A Practical Guide to Base Metals. Samuel’s Book: https://www.perfectlyhedged.com

SHIPPING AND COMMODITY OPERATION CERTIFICATE : https://bit.ly/4jsKV6z

I had the opportunity to interview Cicero Prado Machado, a seasoned expert with over 18 years of experience in the iron ore sector, former geologist, and ex-BHP professional. In this exclusive interview, we cover everything you need to know about iron ore—from geology to global trade, quality, steelmaking processes, and market outlook.

Chapters

1️⃣ Iron ore fundamentals

2️⃣ Ore quality, grades & specifications

3️⃣ Country overview: Australia, Brazil & Canada

4️⃣ Top global players, exporters & importers

5️⃣ Steelmaking methods: BF-BOF & EAF

6️⃣ Market outlook & future trends

SHIPPING AND COMMODITY OPERATION CERTIFICATE : https://bit.ly/4jsKV6z

In this episode I interview Marc Pauchet, Global Market Leader - Dry Bulk at Bureau Veritas.

In this episode, Marc takes us deep into the world of capesize vessel and Dry bulk.

In this episode :

Capesize Vessel Definition

Owners & Operators of Capesize Vessels

Commodities Transported 19:58

Shipping Routes in the Capesize Market

Valemax / Chinamax Explained

Future Fuels

Capesize Chartering Explained

SHIPPING AND COMMODITY OPERATION CERTIFICATE : https://bit.ly/4jsKV6z