First 100% emission-free ship

Yara’s Yara Birkeland, the world’s first electric and self-propelled container ship, has completed its maiden voyage in the Oslo fjord in Norway.

“We are proud to be able to showcase the world’s first fully electric and self-propelled container ship. It will cut 1,000 tonnes of CO2and replace 40,000 trips by diesel-powered trucks a year, said Svein Tore Holsether, CEO of Yara.

Emission-free shipping

The Yara Birkeland has been developed in collaboration with the Kongsberg Group, which is responsible for the development and delivery of all newly developed technology on the ship

The ship was built by VARD with financial support from government enterprise Enova, and will be in commercial operation from 2022. It will transport mineral fertilizer between Porsgrunn and Brevik.

Yara Birkeland will be operated from Maasterlys’ monitoring and operation’s center in Horten. Massterly is a joint venture between Kongsberg and Wilhelmsen.

Now begins a two-year testing period of the technology that will make the ship self-propelled, and finally certified as an autonomous, all-electric container ship.

In parallel with the construction of Yara Birkeland, Yara has initiated the development of green ammonia as an emission-free fuel for shipping, through the newly started Yara Clean Ammonia.

“Renewable energy was our starting point in 1905. Now, ammonia can bring us back to our roots. Our large shipping network and existing infrastructure means that ammonia has the potential to become the leading fuel for long-distance shipping globally,” said Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand, CEO of Yara Clean Ammonia.