Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the first ever loading of a Chinamax class dry bulk vessel in North America, performed by the CSL’s self-unloading vessel, the CSL Spirit. During this historic maritime transhipment operation in the Bay of Sept-Îles, Québec, 302,264 metric tonnes of iron ore were loaded by the CSL Spirit onto the CSB Years, one of the largest vessels in the world.
We are very proud of the key role CSL has played in this record-breaking achievement, and are grateful to the dedicated teams, both on the ground and onboard the CSL Spirit and CSB Years, for carrying out this complex operation. This massive undertaking highlights the flexibility, reliability and efficiency that can be expected from CSL’s transhipment services, and marks a significant milestone for CSL and for shipping in Canada.
Louis Martel, President of Canada Steamship Lines
Equipped with a telescopic, center-mounted discharge boom, the Panamax-sized CSL Spirit is well suited for the large-scale iron ore transhipment operation, which was performed for Cliffs Natural Resources in December 2013.
In our many years of working with CSL, Cliffs recognizes the company’s constant drive for innovation and solutions-based approaches to facing challenges head on. CSL’s innovative spirit and technical competence gave us the confidence that the operation would be carried out efficiently, reliably, and most importantly, safely.
William Miller, Vice-President, Transportation, Cliffs Natural Resources
Once loaded, the CSB Year, owned by China Shipping Bulk Carrier Company, set sail for China where her iron ore cargo will be delivered to Wuhan Iron and Steel Company (WISCO).
A pioneer in transhipment and cargo top-off operations around the globe, CSL performs and oversees such operations in Canada, Australia, Indonesia, the United States and Africa, handling more than thirty million tonnes of cargo annually.