On Friday, April 29, 2022, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway inaugurated and christened the new emission-free container ship, Yara Birkeland, in Brevik.

The Yara Birkeland is the world’s first electric, autonomous container vessel. The ship will transport fertilizer across the fjord from Yara’s Porsgrunn plant to Brevik port and thereby eliminate the carbon emissions of 40,000 diesel truckloads per year.

The ship has been developed in collaboration with several Norwegian companies. The technology company, Kongsberg Maritime, is responsible for the development and delivery of the Yara Birkeland technology, including sensors and integration required for remote control and autonomous operations, as well as electric propulsion, battery, and control systems.

In his speech, Crown Prince Haakon praised the company for never giving up on the idea of developing a emission-free container ship:

“It takes courage to create something new. It requires investment, patience, and the ability to not give up after the first try. Innovation requires trial and error – and trial and error again – until you succeed. Those of you who have worked at Yara for many years have been involved in this several times before throughout the company’s history…”

Photos courtesy of the Norwegian royal court