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Yara Birkeland: the world's first autonomous, all-electric cargo ship
by Ash Jones
Norwegian fertiliser company Yara International has built what it claims is the world's first autonomous, crewless, zero-emission cargo ship, set to take off on its maiden voyage later this year.
Yara Birkeland autonomous, crewless, net-zero cargo ship. Credit: Yara International
The Yara Birkeland is set to perform its first crewless voyage later this year in Norwegian waters. Credit: Yara International
First conceptualised in 2017, the Yara Birkeland's first voyage without crew members was originally penned in for 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the company's ambitions.
Read more: Maersk orders carbon-neutral vessels in decarbonisation push
The ship is set to travel from Herøya to Brevik with only three onshore data control stations along its designated route.
Herøya and Brevik are both located in the municipality of Porsgrunn in Norway, separated by an inlet between two fjords.
While not the first fully autonomous ship to take to the seas - a crewless ferry from Finland launched in 2018 - it is the first of its kind to be powered entirely by electricity.
The vessel was created to deal with a pressing issue within the shipping and freighting industries - the problem of carbon emissions. Specifically engineered to reduce emissions of nitrous oxides and sulfur oxides, which are both toxic to humans and considered greenhouse gases, and carbon dioxide, one of the leading causes of climate change.
Shipping currently accounts for around 2.5% of global carbon emissions and pushes have been made for attempts to decarbonise the sector.
90% of global trade is also made by sea, hinting it may be an important part of the value chain to decarbonise and aid in efforts to reduce emissions in other key industrial sectors.
Furthermore, much of Norway's electricity is generated by hydropower. While cleaner than fossil fuels, these processes still contribute to carbon emissions.
The Birkeland is currently capable of carrying 103 containers and can reach a top speed of 13 knots, currently a little slower than most cargo vessels, which are often designed to travel at around 24 knots, but often travel anywhere between 16 and 24 knots.
The ship currently runs on a 7MW battery - roughly "a thousand times the capacity of one electric car," John Sletten, a plant manager for Yara's factory in Porsgrunn, Norway told CNN.
Read more: Port of Antwerp to pioneer low-carbon shipping
The battery powers two 900 kW Azipull pods and two 700kW thrusters.
Yara Birkeland. Credit: Yara International
Credit: Yara International
Sletten claims the vessel could stand in for as many as 40,000 truck journeys per year, also contributing to significantly reduced emissions for the transport sector.
Owing to the battery size, charging the vessel may take some time, but it will be charged quayside in-between missions.
While loading and unloading the ship will still require human labour, for the time being, Sletten indicated there is a plan to handle nearly every aspect of Yara's freighting autonomously in the near future, once the technology arises.
This will include the use of autonomous cranes and straddle carriers.
Read more: A green future: How can the maritime sector work towards sustainability?
"The focus on autonomy lowers to cost of operation for those transporting goods," Sletten added, while the vessel itself actively reduces carbon and oxide emissions.
Outside of the pandemic, further delays to the maiden voyage were caused by Yara working alongside Norwegian maritime regulators to allow an autonomous ship to navigate Norway's waters for the first time.
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