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An electric container ship capable of fully autonomous operation has set sail for the first time in Norway. The ship delivers 120 loaded containers. After a series of test flights with a crew on board, the Yara Birkeland will be piloted remotely.

The customer for the construction of a modern container ship on electric running and with the possibility of remote control was Yara, a well-known manufacturer of mineral fertilizers from Norway. The vessel with a length of 80 meters has a carrying capacity of 120 TEU, and the electric power plant minimizes harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

At the first stages of operation, the maintenance of Yara Birkeland will be controlled by the crew, but soon the vessel will switch to autonomous operation. It will transport goods in containers from the fertilizer plant in Porsgrunn to the nearest Norwegian ports.

Currently, to transport fertilizers along this route, trucks need to perform more than 100 trips per day. As noted in the company Yara, for the year a modern electric container ship will be able to transport goods transported by 40,000 diesel cars. Thus, the replacement of the delivery method will not only reduce the number of harmful emissions into the atmosphere but also improve the condition and safety of local highways.

The company Kongsberg, whose specialists were engaged in the implementation of the project, stressed that such electric container ships will not be able to displace the usual vessels from the cargo transportation market. Moreover, it will likely become a worthy alternative for the transportation of goods on short routes.