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Posted by Allen Newton
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5 June, 2026
THE FIRST steel has been cut for CSL Ships’s MV Mardie Spirit transhipper which will move salt and potash from BCI Minerals' Mardie Salt and Potash Project, to offshore vessels in deep water.
Mardie Spirit, now under construction at Chengxi Shipyard, is planned to handle more than five million tonnes of salt annually.
Purpose-built for performance and sustainability, the vessel will feature a diesel-electric propulsion system engineered for future conversion to clean fuels and electrification.
A LinkedIn post from CSL vice president commercial, Daniel Wilson, who was in China last week for the ceremony said Mardie Spirit was more than a vessel.
“This project reflects a solid partnership, shared ambition, and a long-term commitment to sustainable transhipment solutions,” Mr Wilson said.
“We can't wait to see the Mardie Spirit take shape.”
The vessel is a 16,000‑DWT self‑unloading transhipment vessel being built specifically for BCI Minerals.
It is being delivered in partnership with the CSL Group, which is providing the design, engineering and long‑term operation of the ship. CSL is one of the world’s leading transhipment specialists.
CSL and BCI Minerals have a 21‑year strategic partnership for the Mardie project. Under this agreement, CSL will:
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Design and build the new transhipper
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Operate it for 20+ years
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Provide an interim vessel (Osprey) from late 2026 until Mardie Spirit is delivered in 2027.
The Mardie project relies on transhipment, not a deep‑water port. The vessel will shuttle salt and SOP from BCI’s jetty at Cape Preston West to ocean‑going ships anchored 12–15 nautical miles offshore.
According to CSL and BCI media releases, the Mardie Spirit will include:
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16,000 DWT shallow‑draft design
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Diesel‑electric propulsion, engineered for future conversion to clean fuels or electrification
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Four azimuth drives for high manoeuvrabilit
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Single‑point loading system (3,300 t/h loading rate)
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Self‑unloading system (4,000 t/h discharge rate)
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Ability to load vessels up to 207,000 DWT, including Newcastlemax bulk carriers.
BCI Minerals expects to export 5.35 million tonnes of industrial salt per year and 140,000 tonnes of SOP with the Mardie Spirit providing a critical link between the onshore salt fields and the deep‑draft export vessels that cannot berth at the shallow Cape Preston West coastline.
CSL is expected to take delivery of the vessel in mid-2127
