World's First Zero-Emission Crewless Cargo Ship to Sail Across Norway
A Norwegian company has built the world's first autonomous zero-emission cargo ship. If everything goes to plan, the vessel will make its first trip between two Norwegian cities before the end of 2021, with a reduced crew on board to test the autonomous systems. Ultimately, all movements will be controlled from three shore-based data control centers.
This is not the first autonomous vessel — in 2018 an autonomous ferry was launched in Finland — but, according to its creators, it is the first fully electric container ship. Yara Birkeland, developed by chemical company Yara International, was designed to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, which are toxic pollutants and greenhouse gases, as well as carbon dioxide, and to move cargo from roads to sea.
According to data from the International Maritime Organization, shipping currently accounts for 2.5% to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Almost all of Norway's electricity is generated from hydropower, which is considered to have much lower carbon emissions than burning fossil fuels, although it still releases greenhouse gases.
Originally developed in 2017, the ship was built in partnership with technology firm Kongsberg Maritime and shipbuilder Vard. It can carry 103 containers and reach a top speed of 13 knots, using a 7 MWh battery, which is "roughly 1,000 times larger than that of a single electric car".
Jon Sletten, plant manager of Yara in Norway, said the vessel will charge at a quay "before heading to container ports along the coast, and then return, replacing 40,000 truck trips a year". The absence of a crew not only makes it a greener option compared with conventional cargo ships, but also means they will be more cost-effective to operate.
Initially, people will be needed to load and unload the ship, but ultimately all loading, unloading and mooring operations will also be carried out using autonomous technology. This will require the development of autonomous cranes and specialized straddle carriers (vehicles that load containers onto ships).
Yara Birkeland was originally planned to launch in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic combined with logistical problems delayed the launch. The company initially overestimated the scale and started with too many parallel activities. Sletten hopes that after shifting the project from an accelerated to a more phased approach, the vessel will deliver its first container from Herøya to Brevik in 2021.
The project also required developing, together with Norwegian maritime authorities, rules allowing an autonomous vessel to navigate the country's waterways for the first time.
Rudy Negenborn, professor of maritime and transport technology at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, said the future belongs to fully autonomous ships such as Yara Birkeland. However, he said there are many challenges to overcome before autonomous ships can be used for commercial long-distance sea voyages.
Negenborn noted that traffic in large ports (unlike the inland ports Yara Birkeland will sail to) could become a serious obstacle: "At some point these ships will need to start interacting with each other so they can exchange information and create routes that do not conflict with one another".
He added that without crew on board to carry out maintenance checks, autonomous ships would need built-in self-diagnostic systems capable of detecting and fixing problems or calling for human help. Beyond the technical challenges, there are also legal implications to consider when it comes to voyages between countries.
“Yara Birkeland operates along the Norwegian coast, but if it went further, it could encounter other territorial regions, possibly with different rules and regulations to comply with. Who would be responsible if something went wrong?”
Although Yara International does not plan to add more autonomous ships to its operations, in the future we may see more artificial intelligence technology used on commercial vessels.
“For foreign ships this may be too big a step, but I think elements are already used in shipping today when it comes to mooring and voyages. I think we will see partially autonomous elements being added”
Yara Birkeland is an example of various companies' drive for innovation and search for environmentally safe solutions that can be made commercial. Although innovative projects often face uncertainties and challenges.
