Canada’s first diesel-electric ‘laker’ has been departed China en route to Halifax where it is set to start operations for Canada Steamship Lines and Quebec-based salt mining company Windsor Salt.

Named Nukumi， the state-of-the-art self-unloading ship with a deadweight of 26，000 metric tons was built by Chengxi Shipyard in Jiangyin， China.

The vessel features a unique hull design， quieter machinery， a single point of loading system， and a shuttle boom， offering “a long-term， safe， sustainable， efficient and reliable shipping solution to the Magdalen Islands region，” where it will load deicing salt at Windsor Salt’s Mines Seleine mine and deliver it to stockpiles throughout Eastern Canada to help keep roadways safe during the winter season.

With its diesel-electric tier 3 engines and hull design， the vessel will contribute to cutting GHG emissions by about 25% with 80% fewer harmful air pollutants compared to traditional vessels servicing the same salt routes. It also features a ballast water treatment system to reduce the transfer of invasive species and noise reduction technology to protect North Atlantic right whales and other marine mammals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

A fixed， single point of loading system with a single hopper into which the salt is loaded， combined with a cargo handling system that eliminates the need for the vessel to shift during loading， will help to improve the safety and efficiency of cargo operations.

M/V Nukumi’s maiden voyage is expected to take six weeks.