CSL, Adbri Start Battery-Powered Bulk Carrier Operations In South Australia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 (Bernama) -- The CSL Group (CSL) and Adbri have commenced operations of MV Yampu, described by the companies as the world's first battery-powered self-unloading bulk carrier, representing a major milestone for Australian manufacturing, maritime innovation and lower-emissions supply chains.

Purpose-built by CSL, the 125-metre vessel will transport limestone from Adbri's Klein Point quarry on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula to the company’s Birkenhead cement manufacturing in Adelaide.

This will help secure a critical raw material for the supply of locally manufactured cement used in homes, schools, hospitals, roads and major infrastructure projects across South Australia and Victoria, according to CSL in a statement.

“MV Yampu represents a significant step forward in our decarbonisation journey and demonstrates how practical innovation can deliver real environmental benefits while meeting the demands of commercial operations.

“Every improvement in cargo handling, every enhancement to onboard systems, and every operational innovation has been implemented with one goal in mind: helping our crews perform their work safely, efficiently and sustainably,” said CSL Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Louis Martel.

Meanwhile, Adbri CEO, Paul Headd said: “For the teams at Klein Point and Birkenhead, this is much more than a new vessel entering service. It is an investment in their future and the future of manufacturing in South Australia.”

For more than a century, limestone from Klein Point has underpinned cement manufacturing in South Australia, and MV Yampu represents the next chapter by combining world-first technology with a resilient local supply chain that supports jobs, manufacturing and economic growth.

The vessel's batteries are recharged while docked at Adbri's Birkenhead facility, allowing MV Yampu to operate on battery power around 40 per cent of the time. Compared with the vessel it replaces, MV Yampu is expected to reduce diesel consumption by more than half a million litres a year.

With a capacity of 11,900 deadweight tonnes, the vessel is expected to transport 2.7 million tonnes of limestone each year and is designed to operate on 100 per cent battery power in the future.

-- BERNAMA