Adbri and The CSL Group have commenced operations of a battery-powered self-unloading bulk carrier that will transport limestone for cement manufacturing in South Australia, according to the company.
In a news release, the CSL Group said MV Yampu, described as the world’s first battery-powered self-unloading bulk carrier, will carry limestone from Adbri’s Klein Point quarry on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula to the company’s Birkenhead cement manufacturing facility in Adelaide.
The 125-metre vessel has a capacity of 11,900 deadweight tonnes and is expected to transport 2.7 million tonnes of limestone each year, supporting the supply of raw materials used in locally manufactured cement for projects across South Australia and Victoria.
CSL said the vessel’s batteries are recharged while docked at the Birkenhead facility, enabling it to operate on battery power about 40 per cent of the time. Compared with the vessel it replaces, MV Yampu is expected to reduce diesel consumption by more than 500,000 litres annually, according to the company.
CSL chief executive Louis Martel said the vessel formed part of the company’s decarbonisation efforts.
“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,” Martel said.
“Ultimately, this vessel showcases how smart design can improve performance.”
The vessel has also been designed to operate on 100 per cent battery power in the future, CSL said.
Adbri chief executive Paul Headd said the vessel would support the company’s manufacturing supply chain and operations in South Australia.
“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,” Headd said.
“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.”
Headd said the vessel demonstrated how emissions reduction initiatives could operate alongside efforts to maintain domestic manufacturing capability.
“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,” he said.
CSL said the commencement of operations marks a new phase in the long-standing movement of limestone from Klein Point, which has supported cement manufacturing in South Australia for more than a century.
