Canadian owner CSL has partnered up with Adelaide Brighton Cement (Adbri) to build and operate the world’s first fully electric battery-capable self-unloading bulk carrier.
The 11,000 dwt ship is expected for delivery from an unnamed shipyard in early 2026.
Under a 20-year strategic partnership, the custom-designed ship will replace Adbri’s Accolade II and will support the company’s limestone operations in South Australia. The ship will carry up to 2.7m tonnes of limestone per year, which represents a 35% increase over the existing vessel’s carrying capacity.
The newbuild will be fitted with hybrid diesel-electric propulsion combined with “one of the most advanced battery installations on a bulk carrier”. CSL said that about 50% of the vessel’s energy requirements will be provided by a combination of shore power and battery energy storage, with plans to install sufficient batteries in the future to allow 100% electric operations.
“Developed in line with CSL and Adbri’s shared decarbonisation vision, this groundbreaking vessel will initially run on a hybrid diesel and battery system, replacing 25% of diesel with electric power and lowering Scope 1 emissions by 40% compared to Accolade II,” explained Louis Martel, CSL president and CEO. “By 2031, we aim to run the ship entirely on electric power, further reducing Scope 1 emissions to less than 10%.”
