The world’s first electric and self-propelled container ship “Yara Birkeland” has departed for its maiden voyage in the Oslo fjord.
Namely, on 19th November 2021, the Norwegian Prime Minister was given a tour by CEO of Yara, Svein Tore Holsether.
“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.
To remind, the Yara Birkeland, which has already received wide coverage in Norwegian and international media, has been developed in collaboration with the Kongsberg Group (KONGSBERG).
The ship was built by VARD with financial support from Enova, and will be in commercial operation from 2022.
“The Yara Birkeland will transport mineral fertilizer between Porsgrunn and Brevik and will contribute to significant emission cuts during transport. This 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 ships. There are a lot of places in the world with congested roads that will benefit from a high-tech solution like this,”
….said Holsether.
As explained, the vessel now begins a two-year testing period of the technology that will make it self-propelled, and finally certified as an autonomous, all-electric container ship.
Yara Birkeland is a collaborative project between several partners, where KONGSBERG is responsible for the development and delivery of all newly developed technology on the ship.
The ship will be operated from Maasterlys’ monitoring and operation’s center in Horten. Massterly is a joint venture between KONGSBERG and Wilhelmsen.
The project demonstrates how we have developed world-leading innovation that contributes to the green transition and provides great export opportunities for Norwegian technology and industry.
…said Geir Håøy, CEO of the Kongsberg Group.
