World’s First Crewless, No-Emissions Cargo Ship Poised To Set Sail This Year
Photo taken by Knut Brevik Anderson, Wilhelmsen Ship Service for Yara International
There are autonomous cars, drones, trucks, and now, cargo ships. A new report by CNN confirms that the world’s first self-sailing, zero-emissions, crewless and fully-electric cargo ship will debut its maiden voyage in Norway by the end of this year.
Helmed by chemicals production company Yara International, the autonomous Yara Birkeland will travel relatively slow, with a top speed of 13 knots. For context, regular container ships move between 16 and 25 knots, Engadget points out. With a massive 7MWh battery, the vessel will also require some time to charge.
All these will be compensated by the ship’s friendlier environmental impact. According to Yara International, it would replace some 40,000 truck trips per year, achieving great cuts on CO2 and nitrous oxide emissions, though it’s worth noting that Norway is already largely dependent on hydroelectric power.
In addition, carrying cargo on the electric ship would help ease land traffic congestion.
While the Yara Birkeland isn’t the first crewless ship, it is the first all-electric one.
The ship was intended for launch in 2020, but its maiden sail had to be stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of 2021, it will finally make its first voyage—albeit in a contained route between three remote control centers from Herøya to Brevik, as at present, a more diverse course would be too challenging for a self-sailing ship.
Image via Yara International
[via Engadget, images via Yara International]
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