Construction Begins on Mardie Spirit, a Major Milestone for BCI Minerals’ Mardie Salt Operation

On 30 May, BCI Minerals joined partners and shipbuilders at CSSC Chengxi Shipyard for the steel-cutting ceremony of the Mardie Spirit, a 16,000 DWT self-unloading transhipment vessel that will play a central role in the Company’s Mardie Salt Operation.

The ceremony marked the moment construction officially began on a vessel that, until now, had existed only in drawings, design discussions and months of collaborative planning. Chengxi Shipyard is a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and is delivering the vessel in partnership with The CSL Group, a world-class provider of complex marine solutions.

BCI Chair Brian O’Donnell led the BCI delegation and addressed the gathering, joined by Managing Director David Boshoff. The company was welcomed to the shipyard by Chairman Jasent Zhou, Victor Li and the wider Chengxi Shipyard team.

Mardie is one of the world’s largest solar salt operations. At full production, it will export 5.35 million tonnes of high-quality industrial salt each year, supplying growing industrial markets across Asia for decades to come. Delivering that volume safely and reliably depends on world-class marine infrastructure and logistics, and the Mardie Spirit sits at the heart of that system. As a self-unloading transhipment vessel, it will be the critical link between the salt produced at Mardie and the global customers who depend on it.

“Moments like this are significant because they represent the point where planning and design begin to take physical shape,” Mr O’Donnell told the ceremony. He described the day as “another major step forward in the development of the Mardie Operation.”

The name Mardie Spirit was chosen by BCI’s own teams through a collaborative process, and it carries real significance for the organisation. It honours the Mardie region and the Mardie port where the vessel will operate.

“‘Spirit’ reflects what drives us to succeed, the determination, persistence and belief which are at the heart of our operations,” Mr O’Donnell said.

In his address, Mr O’Donnell acknowledged the work of BCI’s partners at CSL and the team at Chengxi Shipyard, noting the professionalism, expertise and collaboration they had demonstrated from the earliest planning and design stages.

“It reflects what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared vision and a commitment to delivering long-term value,” he said. “We are proud to be working alongside organisations with such strong capability and experience, and we look forward to seeing construction progress in the coming months.”

He closed with thanks to the Chengxi Shipyard team for their welcome and for joining BCI on the journey ahead.

With steel now being cut, attention turns to the months of construction ahead as the Mardie Spirit takes shape, a tangible sign of progress toward first salt and full production at Mardie.