Canada Steamship Lines’ (CSL) latest diesel-electric self-unloading vessel – the MV Nukumi – entered service last week with Windsor Salt.
To ensure the vessel’s greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 25% and the air pollutants by 80%, the MV Nukumi was fitted with a twin-fin diesel-electric propulsion system consisting of diesel-electric tier 3 engines, a ballast water treatment system and a waste heat recovery system. Machinery that creates less noise has also been installed on board to reduce noise emissions.
Featuring a modern hull design, the MV Nukumi benefits from exceptional maneuverability and can travel through narrow channels efficiently even at low tide.
The vessel was purpose built to carry out Windsor Salt’s de-icing salt shipping and handling operations in Eastern Canada and features a fully automated single point of loading and state-of-the-art cargo handling system to eliminate the need for vessel shifting during loading. On its first operation, the vessel successfully completed the loading of de-icing salt at the Mines Seleines salt mine in the Magdalene Islands in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Canada. The load was then discharged in Montreal.
“The successful launch of Nukumi’s operations is the culmination of many years of planning with our visionary partner, Windsor Salt, to achieve the next level of safe, sustainable and efficient shipping in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and Great Lakes region,” said Louis Martel, president and CEO of CSL Group. “We are extremely proud of our vessel’s early performance, which is a testament to the expertise, ingenuity and skill of our design and new-build teams who conceived Nukumi, and of our seafarers who are now operating this highly sophisticated ship.”
“Canadians count on the critical de-icing salts that Nukumi will deliver to stockpiles throughout Eastern Canada to help keep roadways safe during the winter,” said Luc Savoie, vice president and chief commercial officer at Windsor Salt. “Reducing the environmental impact of shipping our de-icing salt and ensuring everyone’s safety are important objectives at Windsor Salt, and we are delighted that this new, advanced ship will help us achieve both.”
“CSL’s Nukumi is a perfect example of what we want to do on the Saint Lawrence. I am very proud to support this project, which uses innovative marine transportation practices that respect the environment and have concrete benefits for communities,” said Chantal Rouleau, Quebec’s Minister for Transport.
