Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has delivered the zero- emissions autonomous container vessel Yara Birkeland to Yara International.

The vessel was delivered to Yara prepared for the autonomous operation which will be developed by Yara.

Yara says the vessel will first undergo testing for container loading and stability, before heading to a test area in Horten for further preparations for autonomous operation.

“Yara Birkeland is an example of Yara’s ambition to innovate and find climate-friendly solutions which can be commercialized. However, innovation projects come with uncertainties and challenges. In particular, the autonomous logistics on land  have proven to be a challenge for the project. The construction of the ship has been done according to plan with slight delays, including the fitting of the battery, control and navigation systems, For the autonomous logistics on land the project team continues to look for simplified solutions to this,” Yara said in an update.

After experiencing delays due to Covid-9, the world’s first battery-powered autonomous vessel is expected to go into operations towards the end of 2021.

“Yara’s goal is to complete the project and bring the emission-free ship into commercial operation. Different ownership models or partnerships will be evaluated for operation and commercialization,” the company said.