THE WORLD’S first battery-powered self-unloading bulk carrier, MV Yampu has begun operations for CSL, transporting limestone from the Yorke Peninsula to Adelaide.
Being hailed as a major milestone for Australian manufacturing, maritime innovation and lower-emissions supply chains, the 125-metre MV Yampu was purpose-built by CSL.
Owned and operated by CSL and crewed by Australian seafarers the 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, helping what CSL said secured “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”.
CSL CEO, Louis Martel, said: “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.”
Limestone from Klein Point has underpinned cement manufacturing in South Australia for more than a century and CSL says MV Yampu represents the next chapter in that story 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% of the time.
Images: CSL Group
Compared with the vessel it replaces, MV Yampu is expected to reduce diesel consumption by more than half a million litres a year, representing a significant step forward in maritime decarbonisation.
With a capacity of 11,900 deadweight tonnes, the vessel is expected to transport 2.7 million tonnes of limestone each year. MV Yampu is designed to operate on 100% battery power in the future.
“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,” Mr Martel said.
“Ultimately, this vessel showcases how smart design can improve performance.”
Adbri CEO, Paul Headd, said “For the teams at Klein Point and Birkenhead, this is much more than a new vessel entering service. It’s an investment in their future and the future of manufacturing in South Australia.
“Every day, the limestone carried by MV Yampu will help produce the cement used to build homes, hospitals, schools, roads and major infrastructure projects across South Australia and Victoria. Being able to do that while further reducing emissions helps Adbri remains at the forefront of lower-carbon cement manufacturing in Australia.
“The Yampu strengthens our supply chain, supports local jobs and demonstrates that reducing emissions and maintaining a strong Australian manufacturing sector can go hand in hand,” Mr Headd said.
The vessel’s name, Yampu, was selected through an Adbri employee naming process and comes from the Narungga and Kaurna languages of South Australia, meaning “dolphin”, reflecting what CSL said was a strong connection to the marine environment and local communities.