Ranked as the world’s first self-unloading vessel readied for fully-electric battery operation, an 11,000dwt limestone carrier is due to enter the Australian coastwise traffic in early 2026.

The newbuild project, awarded to an unnamed shipyard, arises from a 20-year strategic partnership agreement between Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) and Adelaide Brighton Cement (Adbri).

The custom-designed ship will supersede Adbri’s 8,140dwt Accolade II and will support the company’s limestone operations in South Australia, where the group has two quarries and its main Birkenhead cement production plant.

“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 I* emissions by 40% compared to Accolade II,” said CSL president and CEO Louis Martel. “By 2031, we aim to run the ship entirely on electric power, further reducing Scope 1 emissions to less than 10%.”