(NORWAY)
A self-driving container ship is set to transform the future of logistics.
A partnership between agricultural producer, YARA and technology giant, KONGSBERG, will deliver the ‘world’s first fully electric and autonomous container ship, with zero emissions’ next year.
YARA will begin using the ‘YARA Birkeland’ vessel to ship its products in late 2018, from its production plant in Porsgrunn to Brevik and Larvik in Norway – and it will be fully autonomous by 2020.
The Norwegian headquartered companies announced details of the project in May, and said the new ship will take the equivalent of ‘40,000 truck journeys’ off the road.
“As a leading global fertilizer company with a mission to feed the world and protect the planet, investing in this zero emission vessel to transport our crop nutrition solutions fits our strategy well. We are proud to work with KONGSBERG to realize the world’s first autonomous, all-electric vessel to enter commercial operation,” says Svein Tore Holsether, President and CEO of YARA.
KONGSBERG will provide the ship with all of its ‘key enabling technologies’.
Geir Håøy, President and CEO of KONGSBERG, added: “By moving container transport from land to sea, YARA Birkeland is the start of a major contribution to fulfilling national and international environmental impact goals. The new concept is also a giant step forward towards increased seaborne transportation in general.”
