The world’s first autonomous and electric container vessel is one step closer to launch, as YARA signs a deal with VARD worth appr NOK 250 million to build the vessel. VARD will deliver Yara Birkeland for launch in early 2020, and the vessel will gradually move from manned operation to fully autonomous operation by 2022.
The Oceanology International 2018 exhibition and conference, which runs from 13th to 15th March at ExCel, London, promises to be a crucially significant occasion as organiser Reed Exhibitions looks to expand the event’s remit.
A six meter long, 2.4 tons model of the final design of the autonomous and fully electric container vessel “Yara Birkeland” was revealed as testing commenced at SINTEF Ocean’s 80 metre test tank facility in Trondheim yesterday, September 28th 2017.
The vessel “YARA Birkeland” will be the world’s first fully electric and autonomous container ship, with zero emissions. Operation is planned to start in the latter half of 2018, shipping products from YARA’s Porsgrunn production plant to Brevik and Larvik in Norway.
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