MV Yampu battery-powered bulk carrier begins operations in South Australia

Adbri and The CSL Group have launched operations for the MV Yampu, the world’s first battery-powered self-unloading bulk carrier. The 125-metre vessel is designed to transport limestone from Adbri’s Klein Point quarry on the Yorke Peninsula to the company’s Birkenhead cement manufacturing facility in Adelaide.

The vessel has a capacity of 11,900 deadweight tonnes and is projected to transport 2.7 million tonnes of limestone annually. This supply chain supports the production of cement used for infrastructure projects across South Australia and Victoria.

As part of a decarbonisation initiative, the MV Yampu recharges its batteries while docked at the Birkenhead facility, allowing it to operate on battery power approximately 40 per cent of the time. The ship is expected to reduce diesel consumption by more than 500,000 litres per year compared to the vessel it replaces. The design also allows for the possibility of operating on 100 per cent battery power in the future.