Yara International ASA, a Norwegian company and a leading fertiliser manufacturer with operations worldwide has built an autonomous ship named YARA BIRKELAND.
It is now being designed and built in partnership with Kongsberg Maritime, to transfer its products from the manufacturing site to port.
The ship is battery powered and is designed without ballast tanks. It will also be equipped with an automatic mooring system, where berthing and unberthing will be done without any human intervention, and will not require any special implementations dockside.
The new ship
“YARA BIRKLAND is a game-changer that will set a new standard in the maritime sector,” says Bjørn Tore Orvik, Yara project manager for the YARA BIRKELAND.
The YARA BIRKELAND, 79.5 metres in length and with a service speed of six knots, is scheduled to enter service in 2019, initially operating as a manned ship with a captain and small crew located in a container-based bridge and crew unit.
The transit
Today, Yara products are transported by road on diesel-powered trucks travelling on small roads and through residential areas. Transit by sea on the YARA BIRKELAND will remove around 40,000 truck journeys each year from Norwegian roads and reduce NOx and CO2 emissions.
She will sail on two routes, one within the Norwegian fjords, between Herøya and Brevik, a distance of some seven nautical miles, and between Herøya and Larvik which is 30 nautical miles, carrying chemicals and fertilizer.
The First step
Norway was the first country to announce a dedicated testing area for autonomous ships back in September 2016.
Norwegian companies are now developing the technology for autonomous ship operation while Gard will offer the insurance for these ships.
The changeover
The Norwegian government has allocated some NOK 133 million (USD 16 million) in funds, while the total cost of the project (ship and quayside equipment) is estimated at NOK 400 million, or USD 49 million.
Much work must be done with the IMO, Class Societies, Flag and Coastal Administrations to address the new technology.
Gard’s collaboration with Yara and its participation in industry, academic and legal fora, ensures that GARD and its member, learn to understand the risks and rewards of autonomous ships.
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Source: GARD
