World’s first electric bulk carrier boasts 6,758-kWh battery, hauls 2.7M tons a year

MV Yampu discharges inaugural limestone cargo at Birkenhead, South Australia.The CSL Group Inc The world’s first self-unloading electric bulk carrier, powered by a massive 6,758-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery system, has officially entered commercial service in the land Down Under. Known as MV Yampu, the 410-foot (125-meter) vessel commenced operations on Wednesday, August 26. It will now carry limestone from the Klein Point quarry on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula to the firm’s Birkenhead cement manufacturing site in Adelaide. Designed by marine transportation firm CSL for Australian construction materials producer Adbri, the cargo ship features a 6,758-kWh battery. It can run on battery power about 40 percent of the time. It is set to cut annual diesel consumption by more than half a million liters compared with the ship it replaces. What’s more, it has also been designed with the capability to eventually operate on electric power. “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,” Paul Headd, Adbri’s CEO, revealed. Daily cargo operations The limestone transported by MV Yampu will be utilized to produce cement for homes, schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure in Victoria and South Australia. With a capacity of 11,900 deadweight tons, the vessel is expected to carry around 2.7 million tons of limestone annually. The new vessel, according to the CSL Group (CSL), the world’s largest owner and operator of self-unloading ships, will greatly boost Adbri’s limestone operations. It will increase the company’s annual limestone carrying capacity by 35 percent compared with the vessel it replaces, MV Accolade II. The vessel’s official welcome ceremony.Credit: The CSL Group Inc The batteries recharge while docked at Birkenhead. This will allow the ship to run partly on electric power. According to the companies, the system should reduce diesel consumption by over 500,000 liters annually and cut Scope 1 emissions by 40 percent compared with MV Accolade II. “MV Yampu represents a significant step forward in our decarbonization journey and demonstrates how practical innovation can deliver real environmental benefits while meeting the demands of commercial operations,” Louis Martel, CSL CEO, stated. Building an electric future The vessel was designed specifically for Adbri’s coastal limestone route between Klein Point and Birkenhead. “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,” Paul Headd, Adbri’s chief executive officer, said in a press release. Limestone extracted at the site supports cement production in South Australia. MV Yampu will now take over a key part of that supply route while reducing its reliance on diesel. The vessel actually received its name, Yampu, through an Adbri naming process. It means “dolphin” in the Narungga and Kaurna languages of South Australia. And it reflects the vessel’s connection to the region and its marine environment. “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,” Martel concluded. “Ultimately, this vessel showcases how smart design can improve performance.”Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Based in Skopje, North Macedonia. Her work has appeared in Daily Mail, Mirror, Daily Star, Yahoo, NationalWorld, Newsweek, Press Gazette and others. She covers stories on batteries, wind energy, sustainable shipping and new discoveries. When she's not chasing the next big science story, she's traveling, exploring new cultures, or enjoying good food with even better wine.