Fincantieri's Vard division has delivered the zero-emissions
container vessel Yara Birkeland to her owner, fertilizer manufacturer Yara
International. The 120 TEU Yara Birkeland is the world's first battery-electric
container feeder for commercial use, and the project partners' ultimate goal is
to operate her as an autonomous vessel.
The vessel's hull was built by Vard's Braila yard in
Romania, and initially her outfitting and delivery were slated for completion
at Vard Brevik. The work was later transferred to Vard Brattvaag, and a planned
second-quarter delivery was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that
she has been delivered, she will undergo further testing and autonomous system
development at a designated area near Horten, Norway.
"We have been through an exiting process with
technological development and have gained a great amount of knowledge about
such type of vessels, which we will continue drawing experiences from going
forward. This is an example of how flexible we need to be in order to adapt to
new technology and changes in the maritime industry," Vard said in a
statement. "We wish Yara the best of luck developing the vessel further
and we look forward to seeing it coming into operation soon."
For the first phase of the project, a detachable bridge with
equipment for maneuvering and navigation has been installed. In the future,
when the ship is ready for autonomous operation, this module will be lifted
off.
In commercial deployment, the vessel will transport
fertilizer from Yara's Porsgrunn fertilizer plant to the deep-sea ports of
Larvik and Brevik, a journey of about 30 nautical miles. According to Yara and
project partner Kongsberg, the vessel's operations will reduce NOx and CO2
emissions by reducing diesel-powered truck transport by around 40,000 journeys
per year. This will reduce road congestion as well as the operation's
environmental footprint.