🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 61 (from laksa036)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa061.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html","crawl_time":1775996459,"first_indexed_time":1637342620,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,techxplore!\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html s443","src_root_hash":"2715316345674464461","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway","meta_descriptions":["Zero emissions and, soon, zero crew: the world's first fully electric autonomous cargo vessel was unveiled in Norway, a small but promising step toward reducing the maritime industry's climate footprint."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"The Yara Birkeland will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year now fuelledf by polluting diesel.\nZero emissions and, soon, zero crew: the world's first fully electric autonomous cargo vessel was unveiled in Norway, a small but promising step toward reducing the maritime industry's climate footprint.\nBy shipping up to 120 containers of fertilizer from a plant in the southeastern town of Porsgrunn to the Brevik port a dozen kilometres (about eight miles) away, the much-delayed Yara Birkeland, shown off to the media on Friday, will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year that are now fuelled by polluting diesel.\n\"Of course, there have been difficulties and setbacks,\" said Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive of Norwegian fertiliser giant Yara.\n\"But then it feels even more rewarding to stand here today in front this ship and see that we were able to do it,\" he said, with the sleek blue-and-white\nvessel\nmoored behind him in an Oslo dock, where it had been sailed for the event.\nThe 80-metre, 3,200-deadweight tonne ship will soon begin two years of working trials during which it will be fine-tuned to learn to manoeuvre on its own.\nThe wheelhouse could disappear altogether in \"three, four or five years\", said Holsether, once the vessel makes its 7.5-nautical-mile trips on its own with the aid of sensors.\n\"Quite a lot of the incidents happening on vessels are due to\nhuman error\n, because of fatigue for instance,\" project manager Jostein Braaten said from the possibly doomed bridge.\n\"Autonomous operating can enable a safe journey,\" he said.\nWhile the distance the Yara Birkeland will cover may be short, it will face many obstacles.\nIt will have to navigate in a narrow fjord, and sail under two bridges while managing currents and\nheavy traffic\nfrom merchant ships, pleasure craft and kayaks, before docking at one of Norway's busiest ports.\nThe next few months will be a learning period.\n\"First of all, we have to detect that there's something there. We have to understand that it's a kayak, then we have to determine what to do with that,\" said Braaten.\nNorway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store takes a tour of the Birkeland's power array—equivalent to 100 Teslas.\n\"Currently, large vessels don't do much with a kayak. They can't do much. They can warn, but they cannot manoeuvre away\" or reverse to avoid an incident.\nAutonomous navigation will require a new set of regulations that do not exist yet.\n'100 Teslas'\nOn board the Yara Birkeland, the traditional machine room has been replaced by eight battery compartments, giving the vessel a capacity of 6.8 MWh—sourced from renewable hydroelectricity.\n\"That's the equivalent of 100 Teslas,\" says Braaten.\nThe maritime sector, which is responsible for almost three percent of all man-made emissions, aims to reduce its emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050.\nDespite that, the sector has seen a rise in recent years.\nInternational and domestic shipping and fishing combined, the industry emitted more than one billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2018, up from 962 million tons in 2012, according to the latest figures from the International Maritime Organization.\nBy itself, the Yara Birkeland's contribution to global climate efforts will be just a drop in the ocean—eliminating 678 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year churned out by the redundant trucks.\nAnd experts don't expect electric vessels to become a universal solution for the industry any time soon.\n\"Electricity has a 'niche' use, in particular for ferries as these are often short and stable routes, possibly on coastal and river transports. But it's not well-adapted for long ocean crossings,\" said Camille Egloff, a maritime transport expert at Boston Consulting Group.\n\"Not only would (a vessel) need to be autonomous for long distances but you would also have to equip ports with battery chargers. So there are technical and infrastructure challenges that would need to be coordinated,\" she said.\nWhile dozens of electric ferries already criss-cross the fjords of Norway—a major oil and gas producer which is paradoxically also a leader in electric transport—ocean liners will have to rely on other technologies to go green, such as LNG, e-methanol and hydrogen.\n© 2021 AFP\nCitation\n:\n                                                First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway (2021, November 19)\n                                                retrieved 12 April 2026\n                                                from https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html\nThis document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.","attrs_markdown":"[![logotype](https:\/\/techx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v2\/img\/logotype.svg)](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/)\n\nTopics\n\n- [Week's top](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/weekly-news\/)\n- [Latest news](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/latest-news\/)\n- [Unread news](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/unread-news\/)\n- [Subscribe](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html)\n- [Jobs](https:\/\/jobs.techxplore.com\/)\n### Science X Account\n\n- [Automotive](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/automotive-news\/)\n- [Business](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/business-tech-news\/)\n- [Computer Sciences](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/computer-sciences-news\/)\n- [Consumer & Gadgets](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/consumer-gadgets-news\/)\n- [Electronics & Semiconductors](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/semiconductors-news\/)\n- [Energy & Green Tech](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/energy-green-tech-news\/)\n- [Engineering](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/engineering-news\/)\n- [Hardware](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/hardware-news\/)\n- [Hi Tech & Innovation](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/hi-tech-news\/)\n- [Internet](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/internet-news\/)\n- [Machine learning & AI](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/machine-learning-ai-news\/)\n- [Other](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/other-news\/)\n- [Robotics](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/robotics-news\/)\n- [Security](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/security-news\/)\n- [Software](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/software-news\/)\n- [Telecom](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/telecom-news\/)\n\n- share this\\!\n- [18\\.7K]()\n- [207](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html)\n- [Share](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html)\n- [Email](mailto:)\n\n1. 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[Hi Tech & Innovation](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/hi-tech-news\/)\n***\nNovember 19, 2021\n\n# First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway\nby Pierre-Henry Deshayes\n\n[Add as preferred source](https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https%3A%2F%2Ftechxplore.com%2F)\n***\n\n![The Yara Birkeland will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year now fuelledf by polluting diesel.](https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2021\/the-yara-birkeland-wil.jpg)\n\nThe Yara Birkeland will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year now fuelledf by polluting diesel.\n\nZero emissions and, soon, zero crew: the world's first fully electric autonomous cargo vessel was unveiled in Norway, a small but promising step toward reducing the maritime industry's climate footprint.\n\nBy shipping up to 120 containers of fertilizer from a plant in the southeastern town of Porsgrunn to the Brevik port a dozen kilometres (about eight miles) away, the much-delayed Yara Birkeland, shown off to the media on Friday, will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year that are now fuelled by polluting diesel.\n\n\"Of course, there have been difficulties and setbacks,\" said Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive of Norwegian fertiliser giant Yara.\n\n\"But then it feels even more rewarding to stand here today in front this ship and see that we were able to do it,\" he said, with the sleek blue-and-white [vessel](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/tags\/vessel\/) moored behind him in an Oslo dock, where it had been sailed for the event.\n\nThe 80-metre, 3,200-deadweight tonne ship will soon begin two years of working trials during which it will be fine-tuned to learn to manoeuvre on its own.\n\nThe wheelhouse could disappear altogether in \"three, four or five years\", said Holsether, once the vessel makes its 7.5-nautical-mile trips on its own with the aid of sensors.\n\n\"Quite a lot of the incidents happening on vessels are due to [human error](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/tags\/human+error\/), because of fatigue for instance,\" project manager Jostein Braaten said from the possibly doomed bridge.\n\n\"Autonomous operating can enable a safe journey,\" he said.\n\nWhile the distance the Yara Birkeland will cover may be short, it will face many obstacles.\n\nIt will have to navigate in a narrow fjord, and sail under two bridges while managing currents and [heavy traffic](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/tags\/heavy+traffic\/) from merchant ships, pleasure craft and kayaks, before docking at one of Norway's busiest ports.\n\nThe next few months will be a learning period.\n\n\"First of all, we have to detect that there's something there. We have to understand that it's a kayak, then we have to determine what to do with that,\" said Braaten.\n\n![Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store takes a tour of the Birkeland's power array—equivalent to 100 Teslas](https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2021\/norways-prime-minister.jpg)\n\nNorway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store takes a tour of the Birkeland's power array—equivalent to 100 Teslas.\n\n\"Currently, large vessels don't do much with a kayak. They can't do much. They can warn, but they cannot manoeuvre away\" or reverse to avoid an incident.\n\nAutonomous navigation will require a new set of regulations that do not exist yet.\n\n## '100 Teslas'\nOn board the Yara Birkeland, the traditional machine room has been replaced by eight battery compartments, giving the vessel a capacity of 6.8 MWh—sourced from renewable hydroelectricity.\n\n\"That's the equivalent of 100 Teslas,\" says Braaten.\n\nThe maritime sector, which is responsible for almost three percent of all man-made emissions, aims to reduce its emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050.\n\nDespite that, the sector has seen a rise in recent years.\n\nInternational and domestic shipping and fishing combined, the industry emitted more than one billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2018, up from 962 million tons in 2012, according to the latest figures from the International Maritime Organization.\n\nBy itself, the Yara Birkeland's contribution to global climate efforts will be just a drop in the ocean—eliminating 678 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year churned out by the redundant trucks.\n\nAnd experts don't expect electric vessels to become a universal solution for the industry any time soon.\n\n\"Electricity has a 'niche' use, in particular for ferries as these are often short and stable routes, possibly on coastal and river transports. But it's not well-adapted for long ocean crossings,\" said Camille Egloff, a maritime transport expert at Boston Consulting Group.\n\n\"Not only would (a vessel) need to be autonomous for long distances but you would also have to equip ports with battery chargers. So there are technical and infrastructure challenges that would need to be coordinated,\" she said.\n\nWhile dozens of electric ferries already criss-cross the fjords of Norway—a major oil and gas producer which is paradoxically also a leader in electric transport—ocean liners will have to rely on other technologies to go green, such as LNG, e-methanol and hydrogen.\n\n© 2021 AFP\n\n**Citation**: First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway (2021, November 19) retrieved 12 April 2026 from https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html\n\nThis document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n***\nExplore further\n\n[Norway to build first self-sailing electric cargo ship](https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2017-05-norway-self-sailing-electric-cargo-ship.html)\n***\n[18931 shares]()\n\n- [Facebook]()\n- [Twitter](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html)\n- [Email](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html)\n\n[Feedback to editors](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html)\n\n- [Trending](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html#nav-popular)\n- [Featured](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html#nav-editorials)\n- [Last Comments](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html#nav-commented)\n\n#### [After Anthropic's Mythos AI uncovers thousands of zero-day bugs, top US officials huddle with bank CEOs](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-04-anthropic-mythos-ai-uncovers-thousands.html)\nApr 10, 2026\n\n0\n\n#### [Volcanic rock formula cuts cement emissions by two-thirds](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-04-volcanic-formula-cement-emissions-thirds.html)\nApr 9, 2026\n\n0\n\n#### [Online viewers prefer livestreams to recordings](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-04-online-viewers-livestreams.html)\nApr 9, 2026\n\n0\n\n#### [Compression technique makes AI models leaner and faster while they're still learning](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-04-compression-technique-ai-leaner-faster.html)\nApr 9, 2026\n\n0\n\n#### [Origami-inspired robot built from printable polymers uses electric current to move](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-04-origami-robot-built-printable-polymers.html)\nApr 9, 2026\n\n0\n***\n[![](https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2026\/research-team-applies.jpg) Neural interfaces that adapt to you: How game theory could improve wearables and implants 1 hour ago](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-04-neural-interfaces-game-theory-wearables.html)\n\n[![](https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2026\/beyond-fluorine-scient.jpg) Interface tweak triples graphene oxide fuel cell power density to 0.7 W\/cm² 18 hours ago](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-04-interface-tweak-triples-graphene-oxide.html)\n\n[![](https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2026\/a-hardware-software-co-1.jpg) A hardware-software co-design can efficiently run AI on edge devices 21 hours ago](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2026-04-hardware-software-efficiently-ai-edge.html)\n\n[![](https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2026\/some-in-the-cybersecur.jpg) Mythos AI alarm bells: Fair warning or marketing hype? 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[Full disclaimer](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/ai-disclaimer\/)\n##### Let us know if there is a problem with our content\n###### E-mail the story\n##### First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway\n\n[![Phys.org logotype](https:\/\/techx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v2\/img\/Physorg.svg) Phys.org Daily science news on research developments and the latest scientific innovations](https:\/\/phys.org\/)\n\n[![MedicalXpress logotype](https:\/\/techx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v2\/img\/MedicalXpress.svg) Medical Xpress Medical research advances and health news](https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/)\n\n[![ScienceX logotype](https:\/\/techx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v2\/img\/ScienceX.svg) Science X The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/)\n\n## Newsletters\n## Follow us\n\n- [Top](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html)\n- [Home](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/)\n- [Search](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/search\/)\n- [Mobile version](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html?deviceType=mobile)\n\n- [Help](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/)\n- [FAQ](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/contactus\/)\n- [About](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/about-us\/)\n- [Contact](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/feedback\/)\n\n- [Support us](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/donate\/)\n- [Science X Account](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/profile\/)\n- [Newsletter](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/)\n- [Archive](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/archive\/)\n\n- [Android app](https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.PhysOrg.TechXplore)\n- [iOS app](https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/tech-xplore\/id1154953172?mt=8)\n- [Jobs](https:\/\/jobs.techxplore.com\/)\n- [Push notification]()\n\n© Tech Xplore 2014 - 2026 powered by [Science X Network](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/)\n\n[Privacy policy](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/privacy\/) [Terms of use](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/terms\/)\n\n#### Your Privacy\nThis site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, collect data for ads personalisation and provide content from third parties. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/privacy\/) and [Terms of Use](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/terms\/).\n\n[I'm OK with that](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html) [Cookie options](https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/cookies\/)\n\n#### E-mail newsletter\n#### Follow us\n\n![Quantcast](https:\/\/pixel.quantserve.com\/pixel\/p-5dNhPAnM9r0yY.gif)","attrs_readable_markdown":"![The Yara Birkeland will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year now fuelledf by polluting diesel.](https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2021\/the-yara-birkeland-wil.jpg)\n\nThe Yara Birkeland will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year now fuelledf by polluting diesel.\n\nZero emissions and, soon, zero crew: the world's first fully electric autonomous cargo vessel was unveiled in Norway, a small but promising step toward reducing the maritime industry's climate footprint.\n\nBy shipping up to 120 containers of fertilizer from a plant in the southeastern town of Porsgrunn to the Brevik port a dozen kilometres (about eight miles) away, the much-delayed Yara Birkeland, shown off to the media on Friday, will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year that are now fuelled by polluting diesel.\n\n\"Of course, there have been difficulties and setbacks,\" said Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive of Norwegian fertiliser giant Yara.\n\n\"But then it feels even more rewarding to stand here today in front this ship and see that we were able to do it,\" he said, with the sleek blue-and-white [vessel](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/tags\/vessel\/) moored behind him in an Oslo dock, where it had been sailed for the event.\n\nThe 80-metre, 3,200-deadweight tonne ship will soon begin two years of working trials during which it will be fine-tuned to learn to manoeuvre on its own.\n\nThe wheelhouse could disappear altogether in \"three, four or five years\", said Holsether, once the vessel makes its 7.5-nautical-mile trips on its own with the aid of sensors.\n\n\"Quite a lot of the incidents happening on vessels are due to [human error](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/tags\/human+error\/), because of fatigue for instance,\" project manager Jostein Braaten said from the possibly doomed bridge.\n\n\"Autonomous operating can enable a safe journey,\" he said.\n\nWhile the distance the Yara Birkeland will cover may be short, it will face many obstacles.\n\nIt will have to navigate in a narrow fjord, and sail under two bridges while managing currents and [heavy traffic](https:\/\/techxplore.com\/tags\/heavy+traffic\/) from merchant ships, pleasure craft and kayaks, before docking at one of Norway's busiest ports.\n\nThe next few months will be a learning period.\n\n\"First of all, we have to detect that there's something there. We have to understand that it's a kayak, then we have to determine what to do with that,\" said Braaten.\n\n![Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store takes a tour of the Birkeland's power array—equivalent to 100 Teslas](https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2021\/norways-prime-minister.jpg)\n\nNorway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store takes a tour of the Birkeland's power array—equivalent to 100 Teslas.\n\n\"Currently, large vessels don't do much with a kayak. They can't do much. They can warn, but they cannot manoeuvre away\" or reverse to avoid an incident.\n\nAutonomous navigation will require a new set of regulations that do not exist yet.\n\n## '100 Teslas'\nOn board the Yara Birkeland, the traditional machine room has been replaced by eight battery compartments, giving the vessel a capacity of 6.8 MWh—sourced from renewable hydroelectricity.\n\n\"That's the equivalent of 100 Teslas,\" says Braaten.\n\nThe maritime sector, which is responsible for almost three percent of all man-made emissions, aims to reduce its emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050.\n\nDespite that, the sector has seen a rise in recent years.\n\nInternational and domestic shipping and fishing combined, the industry emitted more than one billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2018, up from 962 million tons in 2012, according to the latest figures from the International Maritime Organization.\n\nBy itself, the Yara Birkeland's contribution to global climate efforts will be just a drop in the ocean—eliminating 678 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year churned out by the redundant trucks.\n\nAnd experts don't expect electric vessels to become a universal solution for the industry any time soon.\n\n\"Electricity has a 'niche' use, in particular for ferries as these are often short and stable routes, possibly on coastal and river transports. But it's not well-adapted for long ocean crossings,\" said Camille Egloff, a maritime transport expert at Boston Consulting Group.\n\n\"Not only would (a vessel) need to be autonomous for long distances but you would also have to equip ports with battery chargers. So there are technical and infrastructure challenges that would need to be coordinated,\" she said.\n\nWhile dozens of electric ferries already criss-cross the fjords of Norway—a major oil and gas producer which is paradoxically also a leader in electric transport—ocean liners will have to rely on other technologies to go green, such as LNG, e-methanol and hydrogen.\n\n© 2021 AFP\n\n**Citation**: First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway (2021, November 19) retrieved 12 April 2026 from https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html\n\nThis document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway
Meta Description	Zero emissions and, soon, zero crew: the world's first fully electric autonomous cargo vessel was unveiled in Norway, a small but promising step toward reducing the maritime industry's climate footprint.
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Boilerpipe Text	The Yara Birkeland will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year now fuelledf by polluting diesel. Zero emissions and, soon, zero crew: the world's first fully electric autonomous cargo vessel was unveiled in Norway, a small but promising step toward reducing the maritime industry's climate footprint. By shipping up to 120 containers of fertilizer from a plant in the southeastern town of Porsgrunn to the Brevik port a dozen kilometres (about eight miles) away, the much-delayed Yara Birkeland, shown off to the media on Friday, will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year that are now fuelled by polluting diesel. "Of course, there have been difficulties and setbacks," said Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive of Norwegian fertiliser giant Yara. "But then it feels even more rewarding to stand here today in front this ship and see that we were able to do it," he said, with the sleek blue-and-white vessel moored behind him in an Oslo dock, where it had been sailed for the event. The 80-metre, 3,200-deadweight tonne ship will soon begin two years of working trials during which it will be fine-tuned to learn to manoeuvre on its own. The wheelhouse could disappear altogether in "three, four or five years", said Holsether, once the vessel makes its 7.5-nautical-mile trips on its own with the aid of sensors. "Quite a lot of the incidents happening on vessels are due to human error , because of fatigue for instance," project manager Jostein Braaten said from the possibly doomed bridge. "Autonomous operating can enable a safe journey," he said. While the distance the Yara Birkeland will cover may be short, it will face many obstacles. It will have to navigate in a narrow fjord, and sail under two bridges while managing currents and heavy traffic from merchant ships, pleasure craft and kayaks, before docking at one of Norway's busiest ports. The next few months will be a learning period. "First of all, we have to detect that there's something there. We have to understand that it's a kayak, then we have to determine what to do with that," said Braaten. Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store takes a tour of the Birkeland's power array—equivalent to 100 Teslas. "Currently, large vessels don't do much with a kayak. They can't do much. They can warn, but they cannot manoeuvre away" or reverse to avoid an incident. Autonomous navigation will require a new set of regulations that do not exist yet. '100 Teslas' On board the Yara Birkeland, the traditional machine room has been replaced by eight battery compartments, giving the vessel a capacity of 6.8 MWh—sourced from renewable hydroelectricity. "That's the equivalent of 100 Teslas," says Braaten. The maritime sector, which is responsible for almost three percent of all man-made emissions, aims to reduce its emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050. Despite that, the sector has seen a rise in recent years. International and domestic shipping and fishing combined, the industry emitted more than one billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2018, up from 962 million tons in 2012, according to the latest figures from the International Maritime Organization. By itself, the Yara Birkeland's contribution to global climate efforts will be just a drop in the ocean—eliminating 678 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year churned out by the redundant trucks. And experts don't expect electric vessels to become a universal solution for the industry any time soon. "Electricity has a 'niche' use, in particular for ferries as these are often short and stable routes, possibly on coastal and river transports. But it's not well-adapted for long ocean crossings," said Camille Egloff, a maritime transport expert at Boston Consulting Group. "Not only would (a vessel) need to be autonomous for long distances but you would also have to equip ports with battery chargers. So there are technical and infrastructure challenges that would need to be coordinated," she said. While dozens of electric ferries already criss-cross the fjords of Norway—a major oil and gas producer which is paradoxically also a leader in electric transport—ocean liners will have to rely on other technologies to go green, such as LNG, e-methanol and hydrogen. © 2021 AFP Citation : First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway (2021, November 19) retrieved 12 April 2026 from https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
Markdown	[![logotype](https://techx.b-cdn.net/tmpl/v2/img/logotype.svg)](https://techxplore.com/) Topics - [Week's top](https://techxplore.com/weekly-news/) - [Latest news](https://techxplore.com/latest-news/) - [Unread news](https://techxplore.com/unread-news/) - [Subscribe](https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html) - [Jobs](https://jobs.techxplore.com/) ### Science X Account - [Automotive](https://techxplore.com/automotive-news/) - [Business](https://techxplore.com/business-tech-news/) - [Computer Sciences](https://techxplore.com/computer-sciences-news/) - [Consumer & Gadgets](https://techxplore.com/consumer-gadgets-news/) - [Electronics & Semiconductors](https://techxplore.com/semiconductors-news/) - [Energy & Green Tech](https://techxplore.com/energy-green-tech-news/) - [Engineering](https://techxplore.com/engineering-news/) - [Hardware](https://techxplore.com/hardware-news/) - [Hi Tech & Innovation](https://techxplore.com/hi-tech-news/) - [Internet](https://techxplore.com/internet-news/) - [Machine learning & AI](https://techxplore.com/machine-learning-ai-news/) - [Other](https://techxplore.com/other-news/) - [Robotics](https://techxplore.com/robotics-news/) - [Security](https://techxplore.com/security-news/) - [Software](https://techxplore.com/software-news/) - [Telecom](https://techxplore.com/telecom-news/) - share this\! - [18\.7K]() - [207](https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html) - [Share](https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html) - [Email](mailto:) 1. [Home](https://techxplore.com/) 2. [Energy & Green Tech](https://techxplore.com/energy-green-tech-news/) 1. [Home](https://techxplore.com/) 2. [Hi Tech & Innovation](https://techxplore.com/hi-tech-news/) * November 19, 2021 # First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway by Pierre-Henry Deshayes [Add as preferred source](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=https%3A%2F%2Ftechxplore.com%2F) * ![The Yara Birkeland will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year now fuelledf by polluting diesel.](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2021/the-yara-birkeland-wil.jpg) The Yara Birkeland will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year now fuelledf by polluting diesel. Zero emissions and, soon, zero crew: the world's first fully electric autonomous cargo vessel was unveiled in Norway, a small but promising step toward reducing the maritime industry's climate footprint. By shipping up to 120 containers of fertilizer from a plant in the southeastern town of Porsgrunn to the Brevik port a dozen kilometres (about eight miles) away, the much-delayed Yara Birkeland, shown off to the media on Friday, will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year that are now fuelled by polluting diesel. "Of course, there have been difficulties and setbacks," said Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive of Norwegian fertiliser giant Yara. "But then it feels even more rewarding to stand here today in front this ship and see that we were able to do it," he said, with the sleek blue-and-white [vessel](https://techxplore.com/tags/vessel/) moored behind him in an Oslo dock, where it had been sailed for the event. The 80-metre, 3,200-deadweight tonne ship will soon begin two years of working trials during which it will be fine-tuned to learn to manoeuvre on its own. The wheelhouse could disappear altogether in "three, four or five years", said Holsether, once the vessel makes its 7.5-nautical-mile trips on its own with the aid of sensors. "Quite a lot of the incidents happening on vessels are due to [human error](https://techxplore.com/tags/human+error/), because of fatigue for instance," project manager Jostein Braaten said from the possibly doomed bridge. "Autonomous operating can enable a safe journey," he said. While the distance the Yara Birkeland will cover may be short, it will face many obstacles. It will have to navigate in a narrow fjord, and sail under two bridges while managing currents and [heavy traffic](https://techxplore.com/tags/heavy+traffic/) from merchant ships, pleasure craft and kayaks, before docking at one of Norway's busiest ports. The next few months will be a learning period. "First of all, we have to detect that there's something there. We have to understand that it's a kayak, then we have to determine what to do with that," said Braaten. ![Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store takes a tour of the Birkeland's power array—equivalent to 100 Teslas](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2021/norways-prime-minister.jpg) Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store takes a tour of the Birkeland's power array—equivalent to 100 Teslas. "Currently, large vessels don't do much with a kayak. They can't do much. They can warn, but they cannot manoeuvre away" or reverse to avoid an incident. Autonomous navigation will require a new set of regulations that do not exist yet. ## '100 Teslas' On board the Yara Birkeland, the traditional machine room has been replaced by eight battery compartments, giving the vessel a capacity of 6.8 MWh—sourced from renewable hydroelectricity. "That's the equivalent of 100 Teslas," says Braaten. The maritime sector, which is responsible for almost three percent of all man-made emissions, aims to reduce its emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050. Despite that, the sector has seen a rise in recent years. International and domestic shipping and fishing combined, the industry emitted more than one billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2018, up from 962 million tons in 2012, according to the latest figures from the International Maritime Organization. By itself, the Yara Birkeland's contribution to global climate efforts will be just a drop in the ocean—eliminating 678 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year churned out by the redundant trucks. And experts don't expect electric vessels to become a universal solution for the industry any time soon. "Electricity has a 'niche' use, in particular for ferries as these are often short and stable routes, possibly on coastal and river transports. But it's not well-adapted for long ocean crossings," said Camille Egloff, a maritime transport expert at Boston Consulting Group. "Not only would (a vessel) need to be autonomous for long distances but you would also have to equip ports with battery chargers. So there are technical and infrastructure challenges that would need to be coordinated," she said. While dozens of electric ferries already criss-cross the fjords of Norway—a major oil and gas producer which is paradoxically also a leader in electric transport—ocean liners will have to rely on other technologies to go green, such as LNG, e-methanol and hydrogen. © 2021 AFP Citation: First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway (2021, November 19) retrieved 12 April 2026 from https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. 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[Full disclaimer](https://sciencex.com/help/ai-disclaimer/) ##### Let us know if there is a problem with our content ###### E-mail the story ##### First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway [![Phys.org logotype](https://techx.b-cdn.net/tmpl/v2/img/Physorg.svg) Phys.org Daily science news on research developments and the latest scientific innovations](https://phys.org/) [![MedicalXpress logotype](https://techx.b-cdn.net/tmpl/v2/img/MedicalXpress.svg) Medical Xpress Medical research advances and health news](https://medicalxpress.com/) [![ScienceX logotype](https://techx.b-cdn.net/tmpl/v2/img/ScienceX.svg) Science X The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web](https://sciencex.com/) ## Newsletters ## Follow us - [Top](https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html) - [Home](https://techxplore.com/) - [Search](https://techxplore.com/search/) - [Mobile version](https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html?deviceType=mobile) - [Help](https://sciencex.com/help/) - [FAQ](https://sciencex.com/help/contactus/) - [About](https://sciencex.com/help/about-us/) - [Contact](https://sciencex.com/help/feedback/) - [Support us](https://sciencex.com/help/donate/) - [Science X Account](https://sciencex.com/profile/) - [Newsletter](https://sciencex.com/help/newsletter/) - [Archive](https://techxplore.com/archive/) - [Android app](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.PhysOrg.TechXplore) - [iOS app](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tech-xplore/id1154953172?mt=8) - [Jobs](https://jobs.techxplore.com/) - [Push notification]() © Tech Xplore 2014 - 2026 powered by [Science X Network](https://sciencex.com/) [Privacy policy](https://sciencex.com/help/privacy/) [Terms of use](https://sciencex.com/help/terms/) #### Your Privacy This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, collect data for ads personalisation and provide content from third parties. 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Readable Markdown	![The Yara Birkeland will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year now fuelledf by polluting diesel.](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2021/the-yara-birkeland-wil.jpg) The Yara Birkeland will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year now fuelledf by polluting diesel. Zero emissions and, soon, zero crew: the world's first fully electric autonomous cargo vessel was unveiled in Norway, a small but promising step toward reducing the maritime industry's climate footprint. By shipping up to 120 containers of fertilizer from a plant in the southeastern town of Porsgrunn to the Brevik port a dozen kilometres (about eight miles) away, the much-delayed Yara Birkeland, shown off to the media on Friday, will eliminate the need for around 40,000 truck journeys a year that are now fuelled by polluting diesel. "Of course, there have been difficulties and setbacks," said Svein Tore Holsether, chief executive of Norwegian fertiliser giant Yara. "But then it feels even more rewarding to stand here today in front this ship and see that we were able to do it," he said, with the sleek blue-and-white [vessel](https://techxplore.com/tags/vessel/) moored behind him in an Oslo dock, where it had been sailed for the event. The 80-metre, 3,200-deadweight tonne ship will soon begin two years of working trials during which it will be fine-tuned to learn to manoeuvre on its own. The wheelhouse could disappear altogether in "three, four or five years", said Holsether, once the vessel makes its 7.5-nautical-mile trips on its own with the aid of sensors. "Quite a lot of the incidents happening on vessels are due to [human error](https://techxplore.com/tags/human+error/), because of fatigue for instance," project manager Jostein Braaten said from the possibly doomed bridge. "Autonomous operating can enable a safe journey," he said. While the distance the Yara Birkeland will cover may be short, it will face many obstacles. It will have to navigate in a narrow fjord, and sail under two bridges while managing currents and [heavy traffic](https://techxplore.com/tags/heavy+traffic/) from merchant ships, pleasure craft and kayaks, before docking at one of Norway's busiest ports. The next few months will be a learning period. "First of all, we have to detect that there's something there. We have to understand that it's a kayak, then we have to determine what to do with that," said Braaten. ![Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store takes a tour of the Birkeland's power array—equivalent to 100 Teslas](https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2021/norways-prime-minister.jpg) Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store takes a tour of the Birkeland's power array—equivalent to 100 Teslas. "Currently, large vessels don't do much with a kayak. They can't do much. They can warn, but they cannot manoeuvre away" or reverse to avoid an incident. Autonomous navigation will require a new set of regulations that do not exist yet. ## '100 Teslas' On board the Yara Birkeland, the traditional machine room has been replaced by eight battery compartments, giving the vessel a capacity of 6.8 MWh—sourced from renewable hydroelectricity. "That's the equivalent of 100 Teslas," says Braaten. The maritime sector, which is responsible for almost three percent of all man-made emissions, aims to reduce its emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050. Despite that, the sector has seen a rise in recent years. International and domestic shipping and fishing combined, the industry emitted more than one billion tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2018, up from 962 million tons in 2012, according to the latest figures from the International Maritime Organization. By itself, the Yara Birkeland's contribution to global climate efforts will be just a drop in the ocean—eliminating 678 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year churned out by the redundant trucks. And experts don't expect electric vessels to become a universal solution for the industry any time soon. "Electricity has a 'niche' use, in particular for ferries as these are often short and stable routes, possibly on coastal and river transports. But it's not well-adapted for long ocean crossings," said Camille Egloff, a maritime transport expert at Boston Consulting Group. "Not only would (a vessel) need to be autonomous for long distances but you would also have to equip ports with battery chargers. So there are technical and infrastructure challenges that would need to be coordinated," she said. While dozens of electric ferries already criss-cross the fjords of Norway—a major oil and gas producer which is paradoxically also a leader in electric transport—ocean liners will have to rely on other technologies to go green, such as LNG, e-methanol and hydrogen. © 2021 AFP Citation: First electric autonomous cargo ship launched in Norway (2021, November 19) retrieved 12 April 2026 from https://techxplore.com/news/2021-11-electric-autonomous-cargo-ship-norway.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
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