Conversion transforms CSL Flexvik from bulker to hybrid self-loader/unloader

CSL Flexvik [Photo: CSL Group]

Canada’s CSL Group has deployed the newest addition to its fleet, M//V CSL Flexvik, to support marine construction and aggregate logistics across Europe. Created by the conversion of a conventional bulker to an 18,003 DWT hybrid self-loading/unloading vessel, the vessel is engineered to deliver maximum versatility and is capable of handling a wide range of cargo, from fine sand and gravel to 1-3 tonne armor rock.

The ship was delivered on May 31, 2025, from Wulkan Shipyard in Szczecin, Poland, following its strategic conversion from a conventional bulk carrier into a purpose-built vessel optimized for flexible, cost-effective delivery of materials for infrastructure and offshore energy projects.

Fitted with two gantry-mounted Sennebogen 870 electric excavators, CSL Flexvik can self-load and self-discharge with precision. Cargo can be offloaded via the conveyor belt system, which includes a 45-meter discharge boom, or directly using the onboard excavators. This means the ship can single-point discharge to a stockpile, transload materials to another vessel, and efficiently handle larger rock gradings, discharged directly using the excavators.

“CSL Flexvik brings a new level of operational flexibility to Europe’s marine construction logistics,” said Louis Martel, CSL’s president and CEO. “Its hybrid configuration, flexible rock-handling capabilities, and direct discharge options offer unmatched flexibility for project-based and industrial customers.”

Key advantages:

• Handles full range of materials: Capable of transporting everything from sand and crushed stone to heavy rock armour.
• Multiple discharge options: Offers boom discharge, directly over-side or vessel-to-vessel transhipment.
• Supports subsea rock installation logistics: Can tranship rock to other vessels, enabling subsea rock installation vessels to remain in situ.
• Reduces port time and costs: Self-operating excavators reduce reliance on shore-based stevedores.

Back story: The CSL Flexvik was originally delivered to Polsteam in 2012 by the Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering Co. in China as the general cargo/ bulk carrier Raba and subsequently sold to a Singapore-based company that named it the Ale. However, it ran aground in Long Point, Newfoundland, in September 2022, and was acquired by a CSL unit in March 2023, renamed CSL Flexvik and underwent extensive repairs prior to its conversion at the Wulkan Shipyard.

• Downloas CSL Flexvik’s detailed specifications HERE.