Self-propelled ship Yara Birkeland completes maiden voyage

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Norwegian fertiliser company Yara International's groundbreaking crewless, autonomous zero-emission cargo ship, the Yara Birkeland, has completed its maiden voyage in the Oslo fjord and is now ready for commercial operations.

The 80-metre long ship, which is set to transport the company's fertiliser products between Porsgrunn and Brevik, has been designed to replace lorry haulage on Norway's roads, potentially saving on thousands of tonnes of CO2.

The group's boss welcomed Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Minister of Fisheries, Ocean Policy Bjørnar Skjæran on Friday (November 19), who announced the vessel maiden voyage had been completed without a hitch and is set to commence operation in 2022.

Read more: Yara Birkeland: the world's first autonomous, all-electric cargo ship

“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 CO2 and replace 40,000 trips by diesel-powered trucks a year", Yara CEO Svein Tore Holsether said at the meeting.

The Yara Birkeland was conceived as part of an ongoing collaboration with Vard, who built the ship, and Kongsberg, who provided key technologies, including sensors and the integration of remote and autonomous operations.

The ship was first conceptualised in 2017 and its maiden voyage was penned in for 2020, but delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic meant the company had to temporarily suspend its ambitions.

While not the first fully autonomous ship to take to the seas - a crewless ferry from Finland launched in 2018 - it is the first of its kind to be powered entirely by electricity.

“We have been looking forward to this day for a long time", Holsether said. "Yara Birkeland will transport mineral fertiliser between Porsgrunn and Brevik and will contribute to significant emission cuts during transport."

"This is an excellent example of green transition in practice, and we hope this ship will be the start of a new type of emission-free container ship. There are a lot of places in the world with congested roads that will benefit from a high-tech solution like this", he added.

Read more: On the crest of a green wave – Decarbonising the maritime sector

The ship will now go through a rigorous two-year testing phase once it starts commercial operations to refine the technologies to allow it to be self-propelled, and finally certified as an autonomous, all-electric container ship.

The vessel is set to be operated at Massterlys’ - a joint venture between Kongsberg and Norwegian maritime firm Wilhemsen - monitoring and operations centre in Horten. 

“Norway is a big ocean and maritime nation, and other nations look to Norway for green solutions at sea", Kongsberg CEO Geir Håøy said in a statement.

"Yara Birkeland is the result of the strong knowledge and experience we have in the Norwegian maritime cluster and industry", he added, suggesting the new vessel opens up new opportunities for exporting to support the Norwegian economy.

Shipping currently accounts for around 2.5% of global carbon emissions and pushes have been made for attempts to decarbonise the sector. In order for decarbonisation to happen rapidly, significant innovations must be made to encourage maritime and shipping companies to make the switch.

Read more: Full decarbonisation of international shipping is doable, says Coalition

Yara has also been looking into green ammonia projects to help power its shipping sector. Ammonia can be used as a sustainable fuel alternative to fossil fuels.

The company also relies on ammonia to make its fertilisers, which currently also represents around 2% of the world's energy consumption.

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