Yara Birkeland (electric autonomous container ship)
Yara Birkeland (portacontenedores eléctrico y autónomo)
- Date
- 2020-2021 · confidence medium
- Place
- Porsgrunn, Telemark, Norway
- Credited to
- Yara, Kongsberg and Vard shipyards
- Field
- Movement
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
An electric container ship of about 120 TEU, designed to sail autonomously on short coastal routes. It replaces thousands of truck trips carrying fertiliser.
It entered service with crew aboard; full autonomy without people was still awaiting certification and IMO regulation.
What it led to
- short electric sea transport replacing trucks
- certified autonomous navigation systems
- regulation of uncrewed ships at the IMO