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Hybrid battery-powered bulk carrier begins operation in Australia

A battery-powered self-unloading bulk carrier has begun operation in South Australia using Wärtsilä’s hybrid-electric propulsion system and an AYK Energy 6,758 kWh battery system.
Ev Foley
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Ev Foley
Image: CSL Group

The MV Yampu, a diesel-electric self-loading 11, 000 deadweight tonnage (dwt) Limestone Carrier has begun operations transporting limestone from construction materials company Adbri’s quarry on South Australia’s (SA’s) Yorke Peninsula to Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) subsidiary CSL Australia’s Birkenhead cement manufacturing plant in Adelaide.

An Andorra-based marine energy company AYK Energy 6.7 MWh Aries+S battery system installed on Yampu will recharge at Adbri’s facility, allowing battery operation for the ship approximately 40% of the time.

MV Yampu was built in China for CSL Australia under a contract held by Finland’s technology group Wärtsilä, and forms part of the vessel’s hybrid diesel-electric power system.

Approximately half of the ship’s energy demand comes from shore power and onboard storage, with the system’s design allowing for an upgrade to 100% electric operations in the future.

CSL Chief Executive Officer Louis Martel said MV Yampu represents a significant step forward in the company’s decarbonization journey and demonstrates how practical innovation can deliver real environmental benefits while meeting the demands of commercial operations.

“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 said.

“Ultimately, this vessel showcases how smart design can improve performance,” he added. “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.”

The name Yampu was chosen through an Adbri-wide employee process and comes from the Narungga and Kaurna languages of SA, where it refers to dolphins.

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