Advanced Transhipment Vessel to Be Developed by CSL and BCI Minerals

Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) and BCI Minerals have announced their intention to develop an innovative, advanced transhipment vessel under a 21-year strategic partnership. The partnership will cover the development and operation of the vessel in support of the Mardie salt and potash mining project in Australia. 

The custom designed transhipper will handle 5.35 million tonnes of salt and 140,000 tonnes of sulphate of potash every year, with loading taking place at BCI Minerals’ jetty loadout facility in Cape Preston, Western Australia. The vessel will navigate 12-15 nautical miles to transfer its cargo to ocean-going ships from Handysize to Newcastle Max. 

The vessel is expected to be replete with a variety of innovative designs and features. CSL has highlighted the following features:

• Total deadweight of approximately 16,000 metric tonnes. 
• The use of gravity discharge, suitable for loading salt, sulphate of potash and other dry bulk commodities.
• Shallow draft to maximise cargo lift within tide and channel constraints. 
• High-manoeuvrability, with double-ended propulsion. 
• Four azimuth drives and an integrated diesel-electric propulsion and powering system.
• Single-point loading system with a loading rate of 3,300 tonnes per hour. 
• Self-unloading system with a discharge rate of 4,000 tonnes per hour.

Commenting on his company’s plans for the vessel, Louis Martel, President and CEO of Canada Steamship Lines, said: 

“We are excited to partner with BCI and spearhead the development of this custom-built diesel-electric ship, which will provide a high-performance, safe and sustainable solution for the Mardie project.

Aligned with CSL and BCI’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the design of the ship provides a pathway to achieve our decarbonisation targets. Its diesel-electric propulsion system is engineered for future conversion to clean fuels or electrification”.

Echoing Martel’s comments, BCI’s managing director, David Boshoff, said: 

“BCI Minerals is very pleased to sign this major contract with CSL for a vessel specifically designed for the Mardie Salt and Potash Project, which will provide BCI with a secure and cost-effective shipping solution providing real benefits to our operations and our customers. 

CSL’s market leading reputation for delivering transshipment solutions and their commitment to safety and reliability make them an ideal long-term partner for BCI Minerals”.

It is expected that construction of the - as yet to be named - vessel will commence in spring 2026, with delivery scheduled for mid-2027. In the meantime, CSL has committed to providing a vessel on time charter to deliver transhipment services to the Mardie Project until the new vessel is ready for service. 

The Mardie Project is the first major salt project developed in Australia in twenty years and will be the only Australian operation to produce commercially-saleable salt and sulphate of potash. 

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