Yara Birkeland will be the world’s first fully electric and autonomous container ship, with zero emissions. With this vessel, Yara will reduce diesel-powered truck haulage by 40,000 journeys a year.

Named “Yara Birkeland” after Yara’s founder, the famous scientist and innovator Kristian Birkeland, the vessel will be the world’s first fully electric container feeder. “With Yara Birkeland we move transport from road to sea and thereby reduce noise and dust, improve the safety of local roads, and reduce NOx and CO2 emissions” says Svein Tore Holsether, President and CEO of Yara.

More: https://www.yara.com/knowledge-grows/game-changer-for-the-environment/

YARA selects Norwegian shipbuilder VARD for zero-emission vessel Yara Birkeland

The world’s first autonomous and electric container vessel is one step closer to launch, as YARA signs a deal with VARD worth appr NOK 250 million to build the vessel. VARD will deliver Yara Birkeland for launch in early 2020, and the vessel will gradually move from manned operation to fully autonomous operation by 2022. In May 2017, YARA and technology company KONGSBERG announced a partnership to build the world’s first autonomous, electric container vessel. Replacing 40,000 truck journeys a year, Yara Birkeland will reduce NOx and CO2 emissions and improve road safety in a densely populated urban area. Now the shipyard has been selected and construction will begin.

Link to animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4RTJpxz9hM&t=1s

Yara and Kalmar to develop world’s first fully-digitalized and zero emission cargo solution for Yara Birkeland

Yara and Kalmar have entered into an agreement in which the leading cargo handling supplier Kalmar will deliver autonomous equipment, software and services for a unique, fully digitalized container handling solution at the Porsgrunn quayside in Norway. This means that all the necessary operations related to the world’s first autonomous and electric container vessel Yara Birkeland will be conducted in a fully autonomous and cost efficient manner, with zero emissions.

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Corporate releases

Yara selects Norwegian shipbuilder VARD for zero-emission vessel Yara Birkeland (August 15, 2018)

Yara and Kalmar to develop world’s first fully-digitalized and zero emission cargo solution for Yara Birkeland (May 24, 2018)

Yara Birkeland design revealed and test model demonstrated for the first time (September 29, 2017)

YARA and KONGSBERG enter into partnership to build world’s first autonomous and zero emissions ship (May 10, 2017)

News and Features

The first ever zero emission, autonomous ship (March 14, 2018)

Enova to support the building of Yara Birkeland (September 28, 2017)