Yara Birkeland, world’s 1st fully electric autonomous containership, marks 3 years in service

Yara Birkeland, the world’s first fully electric and autonomous container vessel, is celebrating three years of service.

Three years ago, in the spring of 2022, the 3,200 dwt eco-friendly vessel was put into commercial operation in Portsgrunn.

Operated by Norwegian chemical company Yara International, the vessel is said to have played a key role in revolutionizing maritime transport and setting new industry standards for sustainability and efficiency.

The innovative ship was developed in collaboration with the Kongsberg Group and built by Vard with financial support from the Norwegian state enterprise Enova.

Since its launch in 2021, the Yara Birkeland has demonstrated the potential of zero-emission shipping. The vessel is equipped with Leclanché’s MRS-2 marine rack system. The 6.8 MWh battery system enables the vessel to operate entirely without fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting operational costs.

Over the past three years, the 80-meter-long and 15-meter-wide Yara Birkeland has completed more than 250 voyages, transporting over 35,000 containers between Yara’s production facility in Porsgrunn and the Port of Brevik.

The 120 TEU vessel has also replaced approximately 35,000 diesel-powered truck journeys so far, reducing CO₂ emissions by 1,000 tonnes per year and reducing noise and dust in populated areas thanks to reduced truck traffic. Recently, it has advanced its autonomous operations, successfully executing supervised auto-docking and auto-crossing functionalities, paving the way for fully autonomous voyages.

“We are proud to be a key enabler of the Yara Birkeland’s success. This unique vessel represents a significant step forward in the decarbonisation of shipping and demonstrates the potential of battery-powered solutions in large-scale marine applications,” Phil Broad, CEO of E-Mobility at Leclanché, commented.

“The achievements of the past three years reinforce the need for continued investment in clean energy technologies.”

“Yara Birkeland is an important contributor to improved environment, both globally and locally. Our project has got fantastic international attention and has been an inspiration for other maritime projects to reduce emissions” Jon Sletten, Project Owner, Yara Birkeland, said.