CSL and BCI Minerals collaborate on a customized diesel-electric ship in Australia

CSL has announced a 21-year strategic partnership with BCI Minerals Limited (BCI) to build and operate a transshipment vessel for the Mardie Salt and Potash Project in Western Australia.

“Aligned with CSL and BCI’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the design of the new ship provides a pathway to achieve our decarbonization targets,” says Louis Martel, the CSL Group’s president and CEO. “Its diesel-electric propulsion system is engineered for future conversion to clean fuels or electrification.

The custom-designed transhipper will handle 5.35 metric tons of salt and 140,000 mt of potash sulfate annually. Loading will occur at BCI’s jetty loadout facility in Cape Preston, transferring cargo 12 to 15 nautical miles to oceangoing ships.

The new vessel will feature:

• A shallow draft to maximize cargo lift within tide and channel constraints
• High maneuverability with double-ended propulsion
• Four azimuth drives and an integrated diesel-electric propulsion and powering system
• A single-point loading system with a loading rate of 3,300 mt per hour and a self-unloading system with a discharge rate of 4,000 mt per hour.

Construction will start in Spring 2026, with delivery expected by mid-2027.