Klaveness Combination Carriers (KCC) is set to expand its business with the Australian lithium industry being a growth industry meeting the expected strong demand for lithium in electrical car batteries. KCC has started to ship hard rock lithium concentrate (spodumene concentrate) from Australia to the Far East and targets to ship caustic soda to new Australian lithium hydroxide plants coming on stream over the next years. We are excited to provide low-carbon freight to this industry of the future!

The CLEANBU vessel MV Barramundi completed at the end March 2021 its second shipment of spodumene concentrate from Western Australia to  China. The Australian spodumene concentrate with high content of lithium is converted to lithium hydroxide at plants in Asia for use in batteries for amongst others electrical cars.

Australia is also in the process of building its own production of lithium hydroxide which use caustic soda in the refining process of spodumene concentrates to lithium hydroxide. KCC, being the market leader for transportation of caustic soda to Australia, is well positioned to provide the growing Australian lithium hydroxide industry with cost competitive low carbon shipping services for its import of caustic soda.

Barramundi and other KCC vessels reduce the carbon footprint of the Australian lithium industry’s   seaborne transport of spodumene from Australia and caustic soda to Australia  by an average of more than 30% compared to standard tankers and dry bulk vessels.