MV Yara Birkeland
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Yara Birkeland |
| Namesake | |
| Owner | Yara International |
| Route | Herøya–Brevik |
| Ordered | 2017 |
| Builder | Marin Tekknik |
| Cost | $25m |
| In service | 2022 (planned) |
| Identification | |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Autonomous cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 3,200 DWT |
| Length | Over 80 metres (260 ft) |
| Beam | 15 metres (49 ft) |
| Draught | 5 metres (16 ft) |
| Depth | 12 metres (39 ft) |
| Installed power | Batteries 6.7MWh |
| Propulsion | Electric motors driving 2 azimuth pods and 2 tunnel thrusters |
| Speed |
|
| Capacity | 120 TEU |
| Crew | 0 |
| Notes | First autonomous commercial ship in the world. |
MV Yara Birkeland is an autonomous 120 TEU container ship.[2] At the time of project initiation, the Yara Birkeland project was designed to create the first fully autonomous logistics concept in the world (from industrial site operations, port operations and vessel operations). In 2019, the Yara Birkeland was a finalist in the competition for the annual Nor-Shipping Next Generation Ship award.[3][4]
Construction
Yara Birkeland will be 80 metres (260 ft) long, with a beam of 14.8 metres (49 ft) and a depth of 12 metres (39 ft). It will have a draught of 6 metres (20 ft). It will be propelled by electric motors driving two azimuth pods and two tunnel thrusters. Batteries rated at 6.7 MWh[5] will power the electric motors, giving it an energy optimal speed of 6 knots (11 km/h) and a maximum speed of 10 knots (19 km/h). It will have a capacity of 120 TEU.[6] Costing $25million,[7] it is designed by Marin Teknikk, with navigation equipment by Kongsberg Maritime.[6] The Norwegian Government gave a grant of NOK133.6 million towards the construction of the ship, about a third of the total cost, in September 2017.[8]
Operation
Yara Birkeland is named after its owners Yara International and its founder, Norwegian scientist Kristian Birkeland.[9] Yara Birkeland will sail between Herøya and Brevik (~7 nautical miles (13 km))[6] carrying chemicals and fertiliser, and is intended to reduce road truck traffic by 40,000 loads per year.[5] In late November, 2021, the ship sailed to Oslo, where it was toured by the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, on Friday, November 19, 2021.[10][11] As of August 2021, remote operation was intended to start in late 2021, though regulatory obstacles may still remain ahead of its intended start of commercial operations in 2022.[12][2][11]
See also
References
- ^ "YARA BIRKELAND (Container Ship)". MarineTraffic. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
- ^ a b Deshays, Pierre-Henry (19 November 2021). "First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway". AFP. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ "Yara Birkeland fights it out with innovative tankers for Nor-Shipping's Next Generation Ship Award". Hellenic Shipping News. Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide. 30 Apr 2019. Retrieved 29 Sep 2019.
- ^ "Gagarin Prospect Wins Nor-Shipping 2019 Next Generation Award". maritime-executive.com. The Maritime Executive, LLC. 4 Jun 2019. Retrieved 29 Sep 2019.
- ^ a b "Yara Birkeland electric container ship starts commercial operations". New Power Progress. 9 December 2021.
- ^ a b c "Autonomous ship project, key facts about YARA Birkeland". Kongsberg Maritime. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- ^ Morris, David Z. (22 July 2017). "World's First Autonomous Ship to Launch in 2018". Fortune. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- ^ "Norway Provides Grant for Construction of Yara Birkeland". World Maritime News. 29 September 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
- ^ "The first ever zero emission, autonomous ship". Yara International. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
- ^ "Yara Birkeland straks klar til drift". mtlogistikk.no. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Yara to start operating the world's first fully emission-free container ship". kongsberg.com. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ^ Lorenz, Jonna (25 August 2021). "Zero-emission, crewless cargo ship to launch by year-end". UPI. Retrieved 25 August 2021.