Sierra Mineral Holdings I Limited (SMHL) has commenced loading of its first Cape-size vessel (MV Star Angie) to export premium washed bauxite from Sierra Leone on 2nd June 2022. During the last more than a decade, SMHL is well known for the exportation of world-class premium bauxite to its parent holding in Supramax vessels only. MV Star Angie (Loa/LBP/Breadth – 292/282/45.00 and DWT 177,931 metric tons) is the first vessel of its class ever in the history of Sierra Leone’s bauxite export is being attempted to load in the corridor of Sherbro River (Buoy 03 and Buoy 01). SMHL Management strived to change its business model from Supra to Cape bulk carrier with a vision that this change in the export model will be linked to benefit of the economics of scale by bringing down its freight cost, making SMHL bauxite competitive globally and opening new markets for Sierra Leone bauxite. This is the result of a visionary resilient aggressive management strategy and is going to be one of the significant milestones in the history of SMHL in Sierra Leone. SMHL carried out the necessary logistic studies to identify the anchorage points in the deeper sea where the Cape can be safely loaded. Also mobilized the required Transhipper Floating Crane and associated fleet to facilitate loading in the deeper sea to the gearless cape vessel from transshipping river fleet consists of SMHL own fleet and additional fleet which were also brought in to enhance loading performance. SMHL Management is determined to make this a “new bauxite export model” going forward from SMHL.