🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 174 (from laksa084)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa174.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://www.popsci.com/technology/yara-birkeland-cargo-ship-sail-date-scheduled/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.popsci.com/technology/yara-birkeland-cargo-ship-sail-date-scheduled/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/yara-birkeland-cargo-ship-sail-date-scheduled\/","crawl_time":1775768986,"first_indexed_time":1629922136,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,popsci!www,\/technology\/yara-birkeland-cargo-ship-sail-date-scheduled\/ s443","src_root_hash":"1151996776091235174","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"This electric cargo ship could soon hit the seas | Popular Science","meta_descriptions":["The battery-powered Yara Birkeland is only 262 feet long and 49 feet wide—making it much smaller than a mammoth vessel like the Ever Given."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"The Yara Birkeland measures just 262 feet long and could set sail as early at this year.\nYara\nGet the Popular Science daily newsletter💡\nBreakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.\nAn autonomous, zero-emission cargo ship four years in the making is scheduled to set sail for the first time this year,\naccording to CNN\n. Powered by batteries and guided by sensors, the\nYara Birkeland\nwould carve a path around Norway to deliver containers with an onshore crew miles away overseeing the journey. \nChemical company Yara International announced its intention to create the vessel in 2017, one year after Norway opened up the world’s first designated testing area for autonomous ships. President and CEO Svein Tore Holsether explained that the company saw this technology as an opportunity to cut down the more than 100 daily diesel truck trips it commissions between its plant and shipping ports. \n“With this new autonomous battery-driven container vessel we move transport from road to sea and thereby reduce noise and dust emissions, improve the safety of local roads, and reduce NOx and CO2 emissions,” Holsether said in a 2018\npress release\n.\nTo translate that futuristic vision into a working vessel, the company partnered with marine technology company Kongsberg. In an\nanimated video\ndetailing the ship’s proposed features, Kongsberg highlighted navigation sensors to guide its autonomous sailing and communication that can report back to manned control centers on land. Jon Sletten, the plant manager for Yara International’s Porsgrunn factory in Norway,\ntold CNN\nthe ship will be powered by a 7 MWh battery, which is “about a thousand times the capacity of one electrical car,” allowing it to operate at a top speed of 13 knots while carrying 103 containers. \n[Related:\nTo move cargo with less mess, these ships unload themselves\n]\nThe ship will be just 262 feet long by 49 feet wide, making it much smaller than a giant container ship like the 1,312-foot-long\nEver Given\n, which\nblocked\nthe Suez Canal earlier this year. As designed, the company believes it could replace 40,000 truck trips annually.\nWhile the initial plan was to get the\nYara Birkeland\nin the water in 2019, Sletten said the team had “overestimated the scope” of the project, which, paired with the pandemic, caused delays. The company also\nnoted\nthat the logistics on land, such as loading and unloading the ship, have proved particularly challenging, leading them to reevaluate their timeline for entirely crewless work. (While this process is still being perfected for the Yara Birkeland, there are already\nself-unloading ships\nfor material like road salt.) \n[Related:\nThe ship blocking the Suez is finally unstuck, but we could see bottlenecks like this again\n]\nSo, the\nYara Birkeland\nis expected to begin operations in the fall with a reduced crew to help with those on-land operations, though it will be autonomous as it makes the journey between ports. If all goes well, the aim is to transport about half of the company’s container volume by 2022, according to\nHellenic Shipping News\n.\nWhile Yara International says their cargo ship would be the first to tick the boxes of zero emissions, autonomous, and crewless all at once, others have already made waves in this space. In December 2018, Rolls Royce and Finland’s state-run ferry operator, Finferries, launched the world’s first\nfully autonomous ferry\nwith 80 passengers on board and the captain 31 miles away.\nHellenic Shipping News\nreports that similar initiatives are now underway in Sweden and Norway, though they remain in testing. The United States military\nis also interested\nin the technology.\nThe interest in this industry coincides with a push from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to lessen shipping emissions. The IMO has\nadopted a strategy\nto reduce CO2 emissions in transport work by 70% from 2008 to 2050 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% in the same timeframe. Currently,\nCNN reports\nthat shipping accounts for between 2.5% and 3% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. \nThe world's first autonomous, zero emission container feeder\n \n2025 PopSci Best of What’s New\nThe 50 most important innovations of the year\n ","attrs_markdown":"[![Popular Science Logo](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Nav-logo.svg?quality=85)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/)\n\n[![Popular Science Logo](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Nav-logo.svg?quality=85)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/)\n\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/science\/)\n  - [Archaeology](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/archaeology\/)\n  - [Ask Us Anything](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/ask-us-anything\/)\n  - [Biology](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/biology\/)\n  - [Dinosaurs](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/dinosaurs\/)\n  - [Physics](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/physics\/)\n  - [Popular Science Videos](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/popular-science-videos\/)\n  - [Space](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/space\/)\n  - [The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/weirdest-thing-i-learned-this-week\/)\n- [Technology](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/technology\/)\n  - [AI](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/ai\/)\n  - [Aviation](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/aviation\/)\n  - [Engineering](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/engineering\/)\n  - [Internet](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/internet\/)\n  - [Military](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/military\/)\n  - [Photography](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/photography\/)\n  - [Robots](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/robots\/)\n  - [Security](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/security\/)\n  - [Best of What's New](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/gear\/best-of-whats-new-2025\/)\n  - [Vehicles](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/vehicles\/)\n- [Environment](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/environment\/)\n  - [Agriculture](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/agriculture\/)\n  - [Animals](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/animals\/)\n  - [Climate Change](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/climate-change\/)\n  - [Conservation](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/conservation\/)\n  - [Energy](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/energy\/)\n  - [Sustainability](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/sustainability\/)\n  - [Weather](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/weather\/)\n- [DIY](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/diy\/)\n  - [Life Skills](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/life-skills\/)\n  - [Projects](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/projects\/)\n  - [Tech Hacks](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/tech-hacks\/)\n- [Gear](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/gear\/)\n  - [Audio](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/audio\/)\n  - [Cameras](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/cameras\/)\n  - [Computers](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/computers\/)\n  - [Fitness Gear](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/fitness-gear\/)\n  - [Gaming](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/gaming\/)\n  - [Gift Guides](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/gift-guides\/)\n  - [Home](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/home\/)\n  - [Home Theater](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/home-theater\/)\n  - [Outdoor Gear](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/outdoor-gear\/)\n  - [Phones](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/phones\/)\n  - [Tablets](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/tablets\/)\n  - [Wearables](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/wearables\/)\n- [MERCH](https:\/\/store.popsci.com\/)\n  - [Cover Art](https:\/\/popularscienceprints.com\/)\n  - [Store](https:\/\/store.popsci.com\/)\n- [Newsletter](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/email-signup\/)\n\n[Technology](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/technology\/) [Vehicles](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/vehicles\/) [Electric Vehicles](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/electric-vehicles\/)\n\n# This electric cargo ship sails itself\nThe battery-powered Yara Birkeland could be plying the seas on its own before the year is out. Here's what to know about the innovative vessel.\n\nBy [Colleen Hagerty](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/colleen-hagerty\/)\n\nUpdated  Aug 25, 2021 4:08 PM EDT\n\n[Add Popular Science (opens in a new tab)](https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=popsci.com)\n\nAdding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results.\n\n![an electric ship](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/25\/300d0f532a32493c826bc75e014b4d06.png?quality=85&w=800)\n\nThe Yara Birkeland measures just 262 feet long and could set sail as early at this year.   Yara\n\n## Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡\nBreakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.\n\n[Terms of Service](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/terms-and-conditions\/) and [Privacy Policy.](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/privacy-policy\/)\n\nAn autonomous, zero-emission cargo ship four years in the making is scheduled to set sail for the first time this year, [according to CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/08\/25\/world\/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl\/index.html). Powered by batteries and guided by sensors, the *Yara Birkeland* would carve a path around Norway to deliver containers with an onshore crew miles away overseeing the journey.\n\nChemical company Yara International announced its intention to create the vessel in 2017, one year after Norway opened up the world’s first designated testing area for autonomous ships. President and CEO Svein Tore Holsether explained that the company saw this technology as an opportunity to cut down the more than 100 daily diesel truck trips it commissions between its plant and shipping ports.\n\n“With this new autonomous battery-driven container vessel we move transport from road to sea and thereby reduce noise and dust emissions, improve the safety of local roads, and reduce NOx and CO2 emissions,” Holsether said in a 2018 [press release](https:\/\/www.yara.com\/knowledge-grows\/game-changer-for-the-environment\/).\n\nTo translate that futuristic vision into a working vessel, the company partnered with marine technology company Kongsberg. In an [animated video](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Fwx5DJSO4sc) detailing the ship’s proposed features, Kongsberg highlighted navigation sensors to guide its autonomous sailing and communication that can report back to manned control centers on land. Jon Sletten, the plant manager for Yara International’s Porsgrunn factory in Norway, [told CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/08\/25\/world\/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl\/index.html) the ship will be powered by a 7 MWh battery, which is “about a thousand times the capacity of one electrical car,” allowing it to operate at a top speed of 13 knots while carrying 103 containers.\n\n**\\[Related: [To move cargo with less mess, these ships unload themselves](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/self-unloading-ships-explained\/)\\]**\n\nThe ship will be just 262 feet long by 49 feet wide, making it much smaller than a giant container ship like the 1,312-foot-long *Ever Given*, which [blocked](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/ship-stuck-suez-canal-international-shipping-issues\/) the Suez Canal earlier this year. As designed, the company believes it could replace 40,000 truck trips annually.\n\nWhile the initial plan was to get the *Yara Birkeland* in the water in 2019, Sletten said the team had “overestimated the scope” of the project, which, paired with the pandemic, caused delays. The company also [noted](https:\/\/www.yara.com\/news-and-media\/press-kits\/yara-birkeland-press-kit\/) that the logistics on land, such as loading and unloading the ship, have proved particularly challenging, leading them to reevaluate their timeline for entirely crewless work. (While this process is still being perfected for the Yara Birkeland, there are already [self-unloading ships](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/self-unloading-ships-explained\/) for material like road salt.)\n\n**\\[Related: [The ship blocking the Suez is finally unstuck, but we could see bottlenecks like this again](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/ship-stuck-suez-canal-international-shipping-issues\/)\\]**\n\nSo, the *Yara Birkeland* is expected to begin operations in the fall with a reduced crew to help with those on-land operations, though it will be autonomous as it makes the journey between ports. If all goes well, the aim is to transport about half of the company’s container volume by 2022, according to [Hellenic Shipping News](https:\/\/www.hellenicshippingnews.com\/one-small-step-for-mass\/).\n\nWhile Yara International says their cargo ship would be the first to tick the boxes of zero emissions, autonomous, and crewless all at once, others have already made waves in this space. In December 2018, Rolls Royce and Finland’s state-run ferry operator, Finferries, launched the world’s first [fully autonomous ferry](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/best-engineering-innovations-2019\/) with 80 passengers on board and the captain 31 miles away. [Hellenic Shipping News](https:\/\/www.hellenicshippingnews.com\/one-small-step-for-mass\/) reports that similar initiatives are now underway in Sweden and Norway, though they remain in testing. The United States military [is also interested](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/darpa-nomars-uncrewed-robot-ship\/) in the technology.\n\nThe interest in this industry coincides with a push from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to lessen shipping emissions. The IMO has [adopted a strategy](https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/MediaCentre\/HotTopics\/Pages\/Reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-ships.aspx) to reduce CO2 emissions in transport work by 70% from 2008 to 2050 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% in the same timeframe. Currently, [CNN reports](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/08\/25\/world\/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl\/index.html) that shipping accounts for between 2.5% and 3% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.\n\n![](https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Fwx5DJSO4sc\/hqdefault.jpg)\n\nThe world's first autonomous, zero emission container feeder\n\n![products on a page that says best of what's new 2025](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/best-of-whats-new-2025-HERO.png?quality=85&w=300)\n\n### 2025 PopSci Best of What’s New\nThe 50 most important innovations of the year\n\n[See it](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/gear\/best-of-whats-new-2025\/)\n\n[![Colleen Hagerty Avatar](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/23\/CH_Headshot.jpg?quality=85&w=102&h=102&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/colleen-hagerty\/)\n\n## [Colleen Hagerty](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/colleen-hagerty\/)\n### Contributor, Tech\n\nColleen Hagerty is an independent journalist specializing in covering disasters, climate change, technology, and politics. She’s been writing about technology for Popular Science since 2021.\n***\n\n## Trending\n[![A candid, full-body photograph shows a young girl swinging joyfully in a lush, green forest setting. She is barefoot and wearing a simple pink dress, with her eyes closed and a wide smile as she glides through the air. Warm sunlight filters through the dense trees in the background, illuminating the scene and a small wooden structure behind her.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/why-childhood-summers-lasted-forever.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/science\/why-childhood-summers-felt-longer\/)\n\n[Ask Us Anything](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/ask-us-anything\/)\n\n[Why did childhood summers feel endless?](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/science\/why-childhood-summers-felt-longer\/)\n\nBy [Jennifer Byrne](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/jennifer-byrne\/)\n\n[![Two humpback whales underwater](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Humpback-Whales.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/environment\/humpback-whale-breeding-ground-video\/)\n\n[Ocean](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/ocean\/)\n\n[513 humpback whales gather at massive Caribbean breeding ground](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/environment\/humpback-whale-breeding-ground-video\/)\n\nBy [Andrew Paul](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/andrew-paul\/)\n\n## More in Electric Vehicles\n[![Hugues Duwal In His Electric Cri-Cri](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/4FFZHC2OTFK2VIRBHGFFVK22GQ.png?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/one-these-electric-planes-just-crossed-english-channel\/)\n\n[One Tiny Craft Just Became The First Electric Plane To Cross The English Channel](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/one-these-electric-planes-just-crossed-english-channel\/)\n\nBy [Kelsey D. Atherton](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/kelsey-d-atherton\/)\n\n[![Sea Zero Cruise ship Concept, sails fully extended](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/07\/Sea-Zero-Concept-Visualisation-sails-fully-extended-3.-Credit-VARD-Design.png?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/hurtigruten-zero-emission-ship\/)\n\n[This concept cruise ship will have solar-paneled sails, an AI copilot, and zero emissions](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/hurtigruten-zero-emission-ship\/)\n\nBy [Andrew Paul](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/andrew-paul\/)\n\n[![Gallery: An Electric Porsche From 1898](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/VNPXSORHXFZOKWINSZDN5U5YAA.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/article\/cars\/gallery-electric-porsche-1898\/)\n\n[Gallery: An Electric Porsche From 1898](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/article\/cars\/gallery-electric-porsche-1898\/)\n\nBy [Stephen Edelstein\/Green Car Reports](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/stephen-edelstein-green-car-reports\/)\n\n[![Electric Car Price Guide: Every 2013-2014 Plug-In Car, With Specs](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/K6JNSFC6NPBTBYE5GDXWV3ASN4.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/cars\/article\/2013-08\/electric-car-price-guide-every-2013-2014-plug-car-specs\/)\n\n[Electric Car Price Guide: Every 2013-2014 Plug-In Car, With Specs](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/cars\/article\/2013-08\/electric-car-price-guide-every-2013-2014-plug-car-specs\/)\n\nBy [Antony Ingram\/ Green Car Reports](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/antony-ingram-green-car-reports\/)\n\n[![Inside The First Production-Ready Electric Airplane](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/OTLTK7OALPATJF4INRHGJKHMCE.jpg?quality=85&w=525)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/article\/2012-04\/inside-first-production-ready-electric-airplane\/)\n\n[Inside The First Production-Ready Electric Airplane](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/article\/2012-04\/inside-first-production-ready-electric-airplane\/)\n\nBy [Seth Fletcher](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/seth-fletcher\/)\n\n[![The All-Electric BMW Active E](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/FWO6UTOGOKLRSZ4YZHQ5CZ4EUU.jpg?quality=85&w=525)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/cars\/article\/2012-02\/driven-all-electric-bmw-active-e\/)\n\n[The All-Electric BMW Active E](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/cars\/article\/2012-02\/driven-all-electric-bmw-active-e\/)\n\nBy [Jon Alain Guzik](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/jon-alain-guzik\/)\n\n[![On Planning a Transcontinental Trip (With Enough Time for Recharging)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/C47ISK3UR4WN5BKOJXOS6WWQNM.jpg?quality=85&w=525)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/cars\/article\/2011-05\/creating-transcontinental-strategy-or-100-watt-hybrid\/)\n\n[On Planning a Transcontinental Trip (With Enough Time for Recharging)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/cars\/article\/2011-05\/creating-transcontinental-strategy-or-100-watt-hybrid\/)\n\nBy [Pierce Hoover](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/pierce-hoover\/)\n\n[![Demystifying the Chevy Volt’s Mostly-Electric Engine](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/4O6VL4QUK65B5YHQJHJGTRNHTU.jpg?quality=85&w=525)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/cars\/article\/2010-12\/demystifying-chevy-volt\/)\n\n[Demystifying the Chevy Volt’s Mostly-Electric Engine](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/cars\/article\/2010-12\/demystifying-chevy-volt\/)\n\nBy [Seth Fletcher](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/seth-fletcher\/)\n\n[SEE MORE](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/electric-vehicles\/)\n\n## More in Vehicles\n[![This smart tugboat is about to journey more than 1,000 miles, autonomously](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/14\/IMG_45551.jpeg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/sea-machine-robotics-autonomous-tugboat\/)\n\n[This smart tugboat is about to journey more than 1,000 miles, autonomously](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/sea-machine-robotics-autonomous-tugboat\/)\n\nBy [Colleen Hagerty](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/colleen-hagerty\/)\n\n[![Hyperloop Tech CEO Rob Lloyd and CTO Brogan BamBrogan](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/JFKGI3F6NYCEZ543BKEOXBI4SQ.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/hyperloop-tech-ceo-predicts-hyperloop-could-become-reality-by-2020\/)\n\n[Hyperloop Tech CEO Predicts The Hyperloop Could Become Reality by 2020](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/hyperloop-tech-ceo-predicts-hyperloop-could-become-reality-by-2020\/)\n\nBy [Katie Linendoll](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/katie-linendoll\/)\n\n[![At Army Exposition, We Tried On BAE’s Panoramic Camera System](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/XTPOQJFDGRMZVXATXZG2BNU22Y.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/at-army-exposition-bae-shows-off-camera-system\/)\n\n[At Army Exposition, We Tried On BAE’s Panoramic Camera System](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/at-army-exposition-bae-shows-off-camera-system\/)\n\nBy [Kelsey D. Atherton](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/kelsey-d-atherton\/)\n\n[![Aston Martin’s DB10 Is A Menacing Supercar](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/77OTMBZADFD2UE75KQW7XQBYEM-scaled.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/real-star-james-bond-movie\/)\n\n[Aston Martin’s DB10 Is A Menacing Supercar](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/real-star-james-bond-movie\/)\n\nBy [Joseph Orovic](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/joseph-orovic\/)\n\n[![As Clouds Grow Darker Over Volkswagen, What’s Next For The Automotive Giant?](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/DF2U7SKNGD6S4H6AVJ5BPW3C6Y.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/as-evidence-gathers-volkswagen-announces-plan-to-fix-its-cars\/)\n\n[As Clouds Grow Darker Over Volkswagen, What’s Next For The Automotive Giant?](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/as-evidence-gathers-volkswagen-announces-plan-to-fix-its-cars\/)\n\nBy [Eric Adams](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/eric-adams\/)\n\n[![You’re Just Not That Into Self-Parking Vehicles, Are You?](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/KMSJL4XQYPY5SSYNTWOTYAT73A.jpeg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/aaa-youre-just-not-that-into-self-parking-vehicles-are-you\/)\n\n[You’re Just Not That Into Self-Parking Vehicles, Are You?](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/aaa-youre-just-not-that-into-self-parking-vehicles-are-you\/)\n\nBy [Richard Read\/The Car Connection](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/richard-read-the-car-connection\/)\n\n[![How To Build The World’s Fastest Car](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/PRM4TS5DUTGHDIADKOHXWABC5A.jpg?quality=85&w=668)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/how-to-build-worlds-fastest-car\/)\n\n[How To Build The World’s Fastest Car](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/how-to-build-worlds-fastest-car\/)\n\nBy [Phil Spiers\/The Conversation](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/phil-spiers-the-conversation\/)\n\n[![VW: 11 Million Diesels Had Cheating Software, \\$7.3 Billion Set Aside](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/66DFERJ235H6X4ED6BRTAKC3YU.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/vw-11-million-diesels-had-cheating-software-73-billion-set-aside\/)\n\n[VW: 11 Million Diesels Had Cheating Software, \\$7.3 Billion Set Aside](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/vw-11-million-diesels-had-cheating-software-73-billion-set-aside\/)\n\nBy [John Voelcker\/ Green Car Reports](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/john-voelcker-green-car-reports\/)\n\n[SEE MORE](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/vehicles\/)\n\n## More in Technology\n[![a ship at sea](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/23\/Saint-Malo-Extended-scaled-1.jpeg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/large-hybrid-ship-saint-malo\/)\n\n[The world’s largest hybrid ship will set sail in 2024](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/technology\/large-hybrid-ship-saint-malo\/)\n\nBy [Colleen Hagerty](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/colleen-hagerty\/)\n\n[![The Stakes Are Higher Than Ever In The New ‘Ghostbusters’ Trailer](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/ZBPHWWPZP6S7JXJSL262SX5X4U.png?quality=85&w=654)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/watch-second-ghostbusters-trailer-attention-spoilers\/)\n\n[The Stakes Are Higher Than Ever In The New ‘Ghostbusters’ Trailer](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/watch-second-ghostbusters-trailer-attention-spoilers\/)\n\nBy [Christine Jun](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/christine-jun\/)\n\n[![These New LED Matches Are Half As Useful As, Well, Matches](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/I6PRKBIYKHDVADLO4WVNTG3CKI.jpeg?quality=85&w=336)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/led-matches-are-half-as-useful-as-well-matches\/)\n\n[These New LED Matches Are Half As Useful As, Well, Matches](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/led-matches-are-half-as-useful-as-well-matches\/)\n\nBy [G. Clay Whittaker](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/g-clay-whittaker\/)\n\n[![Infrared Radiation Can Fine-Tune The Taste Of Whiskey](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/SG4BS3S3YCMSKIYXXI4BWADSDE.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/using-infrared-radiation-to-fine-tune-taste-whiskey\/)\n\n[Infrared Radiation Can Fine-Tune The Taste Of Whiskey](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/using-infrared-radiation-to-fine-tune-taste-whiskey\/)\n\nBy [PopSci Editors](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/popsci-editors\/)\n\n[![DARPA Wants To Transform Chemical War Sites Into Fertile Soil](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/SRSZMNO7D5NAT4VHFXM3ODX3T4.jpg?quality=85&w=740)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/darpas-acdc-program-wants-to-transform-chemical-weapons-into-fertile-soil\/)\n\n[DARPA Wants To Transform Chemical War Sites Into Fertile Soil](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/darpas-acdc-program-wants-to-transform-chemical-weapons-into-fertile-soil\/)\n\nBy [Kelsey D. Atherton](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/kelsey-d-atherton\/)\n\n[![IBM Watson Thinks I’m Cooler Than I Really Am](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/2JQ4X5NWNYTKOUYCP6IRW76XLE.jpg?quality=85&w=550)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/computer-program-told-me-who-i-really-am\/)\n\n[IBM Watson Thinks I’m Cooler Than I Really Am](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/computer-program-told-me-who-i-really-am\/)\n\nBy [Sarah Fecht](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/sarah-fecht\/)\n\n[![Parrot AR Drone 2.0 In Flight](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/GRKRSDLPGDUGZ7FDAJSBXMR7YI.jpg?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/learn-how-to-disable-popular-drone-with-cheap-computer\/)\n\n[This DIY Device Lets You Hijack Drones In Mid-Air](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/learn-how-to-disable-popular-drone-with-cheap-computer\/)\n\nBy [Kelsey D. Atherton](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/kelsey-d-atherton\/)\n\n[![A diagram showing how Terragraph will be wirelessly connected.](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/18\/U6ORVZAYFYFQO2OETKJENZ5CQQ.png?quality=85&w=768)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/facebook-built-new-software-for-cities-to-get-internet\/)\n\n[Facebook Built New Software For Cities To Get Internet](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/facebook-built-new-software-for-cities-to-get-internet\/)\n\nBy [Dave Gershgorn](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/authors\/dave-gershgorn\/)\n\n[SEE MORE](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/technology\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/28\/popsci_logo-horizontal-white.svg?quality=85&w=128&h=28&crop=1)](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/)\n\n## Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡\nBreakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.\n\n[Terms of Service](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/terms-and-conditions\/) and [Privacy Policy.](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/privacy-policy\/)\n\n- [Editorial Standards](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/editorial-standards\/)\n- [How We Test and Review Products](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/product-testing-and-review-guidelines\/)\n- [About Us](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/about-us\/)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/contact\/)\n\n- [TV Channel](https:\/\/underknown.com\/popularscience\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/privacy-policy\/)\n- [Terms & Conditions](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/terms-and-conditions\/)\n- [Affiliate Disclosure](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/affiliate-disclosure\/)\n- [Sitemap](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/sitemap\/)\n- [Deposit Photos](https:\/\/go.skimresources.com\/?id=138113X1700773&isjs=1&jv=15.7.1&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.popsci.com%2F&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdepositphotos.com%2F&xs=1&xtz=240&xuuid=8b0cd3c294016e919484397db9a10f62&xcust=5peiZeEsEiJ6EMmspVrAAol&xjsf=other_click__contextmenu%20%5B2%5D)\n## FOLLOW US\n### DISCLAIMER(S)\nArticles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made.Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service.  \n   \n © 2026 [Recurrent](https:\/\/recurrent.io\/). All rights reserved.  \n   \n [Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information]().\n\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/science\/)\n- [Technology](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/technology\/)\n- [Environment](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/environment\/)\n- [DIY](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/diy\/)\n- [Gear](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/category\/gear\/)\n- [Merch](https:\/\/store.popsci.com\/)\n- [SHOP](https:\/\/shop.popsci.com\/)","attrs_readable_markdown":"![an electric ship](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/25\/300d0f532a32493c826bc75e014b4d06.png?quality=85&w=800)\n\nThe Yara Birkeland measures just 262 feet long and could set sail as early at this year.   Yara\n\n## Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡\nBreakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week.\n\nAn autonomous, zero-emission cargo ship four years in the making is scheduled to set sail for the first time this year, [according to CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/08\/25\/world\/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl\/index.html). Powered by batteries and guided by sensors, the *Yara Birkeland* would carve a path around Norway to deliver containers with an onshore crew miles away overseeing the journey.\n\nChemical company Yara International announced its intention to create the vessel in 2017, one year after Norway opened up the world’s first designated testing area for autonomous ships. President and CEO Svein Tore Holsether explained that the company saw this technology as an opportunity to cut down the more than 100 daily diesel truck trips it commissions between its plant and shipping ports.\n\n“With this new autonomous battery-driven container vessel we move transport from road to sea and thereby reduce noise and dust emissions, improve the safety of local roads, and reduce NOx and CO2 emissions,” Holsether said in a 2018 [press release](https:\/\/www.yara.com\/knowledge-grows\/game-changer-for-the-environment\/).\n\nTo translate that futuristic vision into a working vessel, the company partnered with marine technology company Kongsberg. In an [animated video](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Fwx5DJSO4sc) detailing the ship’s proposed features, Kongsberg highlighted navigation sensors to guide its autonomous sailing and communication that can report back to manned control centers on land. Jon Sletten, the plant manager for Yara International’s Porsgrunn factory in Norway, [told CNN](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/08\/25\/world\/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl\/index.html) the ship will be powered by a 7 MWh battery, which is “about a thousand times the capacity of one electrical car,” allowing it to operate at a top speed of 13 knots while carrying 103 containers.\n\n**\\[Related: [To move cargo with less mess, these ships unload themselves](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/self-unloading-ships-explained\/)\\]**\n\nThe ship will be just 262 feet long by 49 feet wide, making it much smaller than a giant container ship like the 1,312-foot-long *Ever Given*, which [blocked](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/ship-stuck-suez-canal-international-shipping-issues\/) the Suez Canal earlier this year. As designed, the company believes it could replace 40,000 truck trips annually.\n\nWhile the initial plan was to get the *Yara Birkeland* in the water in 2019, Sletten said the team had “overestimated the scope” of the project, which, paired with the pandemic, caused delays. The company also [noted](https:\/\/www.yara.com\/news-and-media\/press-kits\/yara-birkeland-press-kit\/) that the logistics on land, such as loading and unloading the ship, have proved particularly challenging, leading them to reevaluate their timeline for entirely crewless work. (While this process is still being perfected for the Yara Birkeland, there are already [self-unloading ships](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/self-unloading-ships-explained\/) for material like road salt.)\n\n**\\[Related: [The ship blocking the Suez is finally unstuck, but we could see bottlenecks like this again](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/ship-stuck-suez-canal-international-shipping-issues\/)\\]**\n\nSo, the *Yara Birkeland* is expected to begin operations in the fall with a reduced crew to help with those on-land operations, though it will be autonomous as it makes the journey between ports. If all goes well, the aim is to transport about half of the company’s container volume by 2022, according to [Hellenic Shipping News](https:\/\/www.hellenicshippingnews.com\/one-small-step-for-mass\/).\n\nWhile Yara International says their cargo ship would be the first to tick the boxes of zero emissions, autonomous, and crewless all at once, others have already made waves in this space. In December 2018, Rolls Royce and Finland’s state-run ferry operator, Finferries, launched the world’s first [fully autonomous ferry](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/best-engineering-innovations-2019\/) with 80 passengers on board and the captain 31 miles away. [Hellenic Shipping News](https:\/\/www.hellenicshippingnews.com\/one-small-step-for-mass\/) reports that similar initiatives are now underway in Sweden and Norway, though they remain in testing. The United States military [is also interested](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/technology\/darpa-nomars-uncrewed-robot-ship\/) in the technology.\n\nThe interest in this industry coincides with a push from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to lessen shipping emissions. The IMO has [adopted a strategy](https:\/\/www.imo.org\/en\/MediaCentre\/HotTopics\/Pages\/Reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-ships.aspx) to reduce CO2 emissions in transport work by 70% from 2008 to 2050 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% in the same timeframe. Currently, [CNN reports](https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/08\/25\/world\/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl\/index.html) that shipping accounts for between 2.5% and 3% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.\n\n![](https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Fwx5DJSO4sc\/hqdefault.jpg)\n\nThe world's first autonomous, zero emission container feeder\n\n![products on a page that says best of what's new 2025](https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/best-of-whats-new-2025-HERO.png?quality=85&w=300)\n\n### 2025 PopSci Best of What’s New\nThe 50 most important innovations of the year","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	The Yara Birkeland measures just 262 feet long and could set sail as early at this year. Yara Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. An autonomous, zero-emission cargo ship four years in the making is scheduled to set sail for the first time this year, according to CNN . Powered by batteries and guided by sensors, the Yara Birkeland would carve a path around Norway to deliver containers with an onshore crew miles away overseeing the journey. Chemical company Yara International announced its intention to create the vessel in 2017, one year after Norway opened up the world’s first designated testing area for autonomous ships. President and CEO Svein Tore Holsether explained that the company saw this technology as an opportunity to cut down the more than 100 daily diesel truck trips it commissions between its plant and shipping ports. “With this new autonomous battery-driven container vessel we move transport from road to sea and thereby reduce noise and dust emissions, improve the safety of local roads, and reduce NOx and CO2 emissions,” Holsether said in a 2018 press release . To translate that futuristic vision into a working vessel, the company partnered with marine technology company Kongsberg. In an animated video detailing the ship’s proposed features, Kongsberg highlighted navigation sensors to guide its autonomous sailing and communication that can report back to manned control centers on land. Jon Sletten, the plant manager for Yara International’s Porsgrunn factory in Norway, told CNN the ship will be powered by a 7 MWh battery, which is “about a thousand times the capacity of one electrical car,” allowing it to operate at a top speed of 13 knots while carrying 103 containers. [Related: To move cargo with less mess, these ships unload themselves ] The ship will be just 262 feet long by 49 feet wide, making it much smaller than a giant container ship like the 1,312-foot-long Ever Given , which blocked the Suez Canal earlier this year. As designed, the company believes it could replace 40,000 truck trips annually. While the initial plan was to get the Yara Birkeland in the water in 2019, Sletten said the team had “overestimated the scope” of the project, which, paired with the pandemic, caused delays. The company also noted that the logistics on land, such as loading and unloading the ship, have proved particularly challenging, leading them to reevaluate their timeline for entirely crewless work. (While this process is still being perfected for the Yara Birkeland, there are already self-unloading ships for material like road salt.) [Related: The ship blocking the Suez is finally unstuck, but we could see bottlenecks like this again ] So, the Yara Birkeland is expected to begin operations in the fall with a reduced crew to help with those on-land operations, though it will be autonomous as it makes the journey between ports. If all goes well, the aim is to transport about half of the company’s container volume by 2022, according to Hellenic Shipping News . While Yara International says their cargo ship would be the first to tick the boxes of zero emissions, autonomous, and crewless all at once, others have already made waves in this space. In December 2018, Rolls Royce and Finland’s state-run ferry operator, Finferries, launched the world’s first fully autonomous ferry with 80 passengers on board and the captain 31 miles away. Hellenic Shipping News reports that similar initiatives are now underway in Sweden and Norway, though they remain in testing. The United States military is also interested in the technology. The interest in this industry coincides with a push from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to lessen shipping emissions. The IMO has adopted a strategy to reduce CO2 emissions in transport work by 70% from 2008 to 2050 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% in the same timeframe. Currently, CNN reports that shipping accounts for between 2.5% and 3% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. The world's first autonomous, zero emission container feeder 2025 PopSci Best of What’s New The 50 most important innovations of the year
Markdown	[![Popular Science Logo](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Nav-logo.svg?quality=85)](https://www.popsci.com/) [![Popular Science Logo](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Nav-logo.svg?quality=85)](https://www.popsci.com/) - [Science](https://www.popsci.com/category/science/) - [Archaeology](https://www.popsci.com/category/archaeology/) - [Ask Us Anything](https://www.popsci.com/category/ask-us-anything/) - [Biology](https://www.popsci.com/category/biology/) - [Dinosaurs](https://www.popsci.com/category/dinosaurs/) - [Physics](https://www.popsci.com/category/physics/) - [Popular Science Videos](https://www.popsci.com/category/popular-science-videos/) - [Space](https://www.popsci.com/category/space/) - [The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week](https://www.popsci.com/category/weirdest-thing-i-learned-this-week/) - [Technology](https://www.popsci.com/category/technology/) - [AI](https://www.popsci.com/category/ai/) - [Aviation](https://www.popsci.com/category/aviation/) - [Engineering](https://www.popsci.com/category/engineering/) - [Internet](https://www.popsci.com/category/internet/) - [Military](https://www.popsci.com/category/military/) - [Photography](https://www.popsci.com/category/photography/) - [Robots](https://www.popsci.com/category/robots/) - [Security](https://www.popsci.com/category/security/) - [Best of What's New](https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-of-whats-new-2025/) - [Vehicles](https://www.popsci.com/category/vehicles/) - [Environment](https://www.popsci.com/category/environment/) - [Agriculture](https://www.popsci.com/category/agriculture/) - [Animals](https://www.popsci.com/category/animals/) - [Climate Change](https://www.popsci.com/category/climate-change/) - [Conservation](https://www.popsci.com/category/conservation/) - [Energy](https://www.popsci.com/category/energy/) - [Sustainability](https://www.popsci.com/category/sustainability/) - [Weather](https://www.popsci.com/category/weather/) - [DIY](https://www.popsci.com/category/diy/) - [Life Skills](https://www.popsci.com/category/life-skills/) - [Projects](https://www.popsci.com/category/projects/) - [Tech Hacks](https://www.popsci.com/category/tech-hacks/) - [Gear](https://www.popsci.com/category/gear/) - [Audio](https://www.popsci.com/category/audio/) - [Cameras](https://www.popsci.com/category/cameras/) - [Computers](https://www.popsci.com/category/computers/) - [Fitness Gear](https://www.popsci.com/category/fitness-gear/) - [Gaming](https://www.popsci.com/category/gaming/) - [Gift Guides](https://www.popsci.com/category/gift-guides/) - [Home](https://www.popsci.com/category/home/) - [Home Theater](https://www.popsci.com/category/home-theater/) - [Outdoor Gear](https://www.popsci.com/category/outdoor-gear/) - [Phones](https://www.popsci.com/category/phones/) - [Tablets](https://www.popsci.com/category/tablets/) - [Wearables](https://www.popsci.com/category/wearables/) - [MERCH](https://store.popsci.com/) - [Cover Art](https://popularscienceprints.com/) - [Store](https://store.popsci.com/) - [Newsletter](https://www.popsci.com/email-signup/) [Technology](https://www.popsci.com/category/technology/) [Vehicles](https://www.popsci.com/category/vehicles/) [Electric Vehicles](https://www.popsci.com/category/electric-vehicles/) # This electric cargo ship sails itself The battery-powered Yara Birkeland could be plying the seas on its own before the year is out. Here's what to know about the innovative vessel. By [Colleen Hagerty](https://www.popsci.com/authors/colleen-hagerty/) Updated Aug 25, 2021 4:08 PM EDT [Add Popular Science (opens in a new tab)](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=popsci.com) Adding us as a Preferred Source in Google by using this link indicates that you would like to see more of our content in Google News results. ![an electric ship](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/25/300d0f532a32493c826bc75e014b4d06.png?quality=85&w=800) The Yara Birkeland measures just 262 feet long and could set sail as early at this year. Yara ## Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. [Terms of Service](https://recurrent.io/terms-and-conditions/) and [Privacy Policy.](https://recurrent.io/privacy-policy/) An autonomous, zero-emission cargo ship four years in the making is scheduled to set sail for the first time this year, [according to CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/25/world/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl/index.html). Powered by batteries and guided by sensors, the Yara Birkeland would carve a path around Norway to deliver containers with an onshore crew miles away overseeing the journey. Chemical company Yara International announced its intention to create the vessel in 2017, one year after Norway opened up the world’s first designated testing area for autonomous ships. President and CEO Svein Tore Holsether explained that the company saw this technology as an opportunity to cut down the more than 100 daily diesel truck trips it commissions between its plant and shipping ports. “With this new autonomous battery-driven container vessel we move transport from road to sea and thereby reduce noise and dust emissions, improve the safety of local roads, and reduce NOx and CO2 emissions,” Holsether said in a 2018 [press release](https://www.yara.com/knowledge-grows/game-changer-for-the-environment/). To translate that futuristic vision into a working vessel, the company partnered with marine technology company Kongsberg. In an [animated video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwx5DJSO4sc) detailing the ship’s proposed features, Kongsberg highlighted navigation sensors to guide its autonomous sailing and communication that can report back to manned control centers on land. Jon Sletten, the plant manager for Yara International’s Porsgrunn factory in Norway, [told CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/25/world/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl/index.html) the ship will be powered by a 7 MWh battery, which is “about a thousand times the capacity of one electrical car,” allowing it to operate at a top speed of 13 knots while carrying 103 containers. \[Related: [To move cargo with less mess, these ships unload themselves](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/self-unloading-ships-explained/)\] The ship will be just 262 feet long by 49 feet wide, making it much smaller than a giant container ship like the 1,312-foot-long Ever Given, which [blocked](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/ship-stuck-suez-canal-international-shipping-issues/) the Suez Canal earlier this year. As designed, the company believes it could replace 40,000 truck trips annually. While the initial plan was to get the Yara Birkeland in the water in 2019, Sletten said the team had “overestimated the scope” of the project, which, paired with the pandemic, caused delays. The company also [noted](https://www.yara.com/news-and-media/press-kits/yara-birkeland-press-kit/) that the logistics on land, such as loading and unloading the ship, have proved particularly challenging, leading them to reevaluate their timeline for entirely crewless work. (While this process is still being perfected for the Yara Birkeland, there are already [self-unloading ships](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/self-unloading-ships-explained/) for material like road salt.) \[Related: [The ship blocking the Suez is finally unstuck, but we could see bottlenecks like this again](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/ship-stuck-suez-canal-international-shipping-issues/)\] So, the Yara Birkeland is expected to begin operations in the fall with a reduced crew to help with those on-land operations, though it will be autonomous as it makes the journey between ports. If all goes well, the aim is to transport about half of the company’s container volume by 2022, according to [Hellenic Shipping News](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/one-small-step-for-mass/). While Yara International says their cargo ship would be the first to tick the boxes of zero emissions, autonomous, and crewless all at once, others have already made waves in this space. In December 2018, Rolls Royce and Finland’s state-run ferry operator, Finferries, launched the world’s first [fully autonomous ferry](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/best-engineering-innovations-2019/) with 80 passengers on board and the captain 31 miles away. [Hellenic Shipping News](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/one-small-step-for-mass/) reports that similar initiatives are now underway in Sweden and Norway, though they remain in testing. The United States military [is also interested](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/darpa-nomars-uncrewed-robot-ship/) in the technology. The interest in this industry coincides with a push from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to lessen shipping emissions. The IMO has [adopted a strategy](https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/Reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-ships.aspx) to reduce CO2 emissions in transport work by 70% from 2008 to 2050 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% in the same timeframe. Currently, [CNN reports](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/25/world/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl/index.html) that shipping accounts for between 2.5% and 3% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. ![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Fwx5DJSO4sc/hqdefault.jpg) The world's first autonomous, zero emission container feeder ![products on a page that says best of what's new 2025](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/best-of-whats-new-2025-HERO.png?quality=85&w=300) ### 2025 PopSci Best of What’s New The 50 most important innovations of the year [See it](https://www.popsci.com/gear/best-of-whats-new-2025/) [![Colleen Hagerty Avatar](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/23/CH_Headshot.jpg?quality=85&w=102&h=102&crop=1)](https://www.popsci.com/authors/colleen-hagerty/) ## [Colleen Hagerty](https://www.popsci.com/authors/colleen-hagerty/) ### Contributor, Tech Colleen Hagerty is an independent journalist specializing in covering disasters, climate change, technology, and politics. She’s been writing about technology for Popular Science since 2021. *** ## Trending [![A candid, full-body photograph shows a young girl swinging joyfully in a lush, green forest setting. She is barefoot and wearing a simple pink dress, with her eyes closed and a wide smile as she glides through the air. 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Readable Markdown	![an electric ship](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/25/300d0f532a32493c826bc75e014b4d06.png?quality=85&w=800) The Yara Birkeland measures just 262 feet long and could set sail as early at this year. Yara ## Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. An autonomous, zero-emission cargo ship four years in the making is scheduled to set sail for the first time this year, [according to CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/25/world/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl/index.html). Powered by batteries and guided by sensors, the Yara Birkeland would carve a path around Norway to deliver containers with an onshore crew miles away overseeing the journey. Chemical company Yara International announced its intention to create the vessel in 2017, one year after Norway opened up the world’s first designated testing area for autonomous ships. President and CEO Svein Tore Holsether explained that the company saw this technology as an opportunity to cut down the more than 100 daily diesel truck trips it commissions between its plant and shipping ports. “With this new autonomous battery-driven container vessel we move transport from road to sea and thereby reduce noise and dust emissions, improve the safety of local roads, and reduce NOx and CO2 emissions,” Holsether said in a 2018 [press release](https://www.yara.com/knowledge-grows/game-changer-for-the-environment/). To translate that futuristic vision into a working vessel, the company partnered with marine technology company Kongsberg. In an [animated video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwx5DJSO4sc) detailing the ship’s proposed features, Kongsberg highlighted navigation sensors to guide its autonomous sailing and communication that can report back to manned control centers on land. Jon Sletten, the plant manager for Yara International’s Porsgrunn factory in Norway, [told CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/25/world/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl/index.html) the ship will be powered by a 7 MWh battery, which is “about a thousand times the capacity of one electrical car,” allowing it to operate at a top speed of 13 knots while carrying 103 containers. \[Related: [To move cargo with less mess, these ships unload themselves](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/self-unloading-ships-explained/)\] The ship will be just 262 feet long by 49 feet wide, making it much smaller than a giant container ship like the 1,312-foot-long Ever Given, which [blocked](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/ship-stuck-suez-canal-international-shipping-issues/) the Suez Canal earlier this year. As designed, the company believes it could replace 40,000 truck trips annually. While the initial plan was to get the Yara Birkeland in the water in 2019, Sletten said the team had “overestimated the scope” of the project, which, paired with the pandemic, caused delays. The company also [noted](https://www.yara.com/news-and-media/press-kits/yara-birkeland-press-kit/) that the logistics on land, such as loading and unloading the ship, have proved particularly challenging, leading them to reevaluate their timeline for entirely crewless work. (While this process is still being perfected for the Yara Birkeland, there are already [self-unloading ships](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/self-unloading-ships-explained/) for material like road salt.) \[Related: [The ship blocking the Suez is finally unstuck, but we could see bottlenecks like this again](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/ship-stuck-suez-canal-international-shipping-issues/)\] So, the Yara Birkeland is expected to begin operations in the fall with a reduced crew to help with those on-land operations, though it will be autonomous as it makes the journey between ports. If all goes well, the aim is to transport about half of the company’s container volume by 2022, according to [Hellenic Shipping News](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/one-small-step-for-mass/). While Yara International says their cargo ship would be the first to tick the boxes of zero emissions, autonomous, and crewless all at once, others have already made waves in this space. In December 2018, Rolls Royce and Finland’s state-run ferry operator, Finferries, launched the world’s first [fully autonomous ferry](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/best-engineering-innovations-2019/) with 80 passengers on board and the captain 31 miles away. [Hellenic Shipping News](https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/one-small-step-for-mass/) reports that similar initiatives are now underway in Sweden and Norway, though they remain in testing. The United States military [is also interested](https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/darpa-nomars-uncrewed-robot-ship/) in the technology. The interest in this industry coincides with a push from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to lessen shipping emissions. The IMO has [adopted a strategy](https://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/Reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-ships.aspx) to reduce CO2 emissions in transport work by 70% from 2008 to 2050 and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% in the same timeframe. Currently, [CNN reports](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/25/world/yara-birkeland-norway-crewless-container-ship-spc-intl/index.html) that shipping accounts for between 2.5% and 3% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. ![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Fwx5DJSO4sc/hqdefault.jpg) The world's first autonomous, zero emission container feeder ![products on a page that says best of what's new 2025](https://www.popsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/best-of-whats-new-2025-HERO.png?quality=85&w=300) ### 2025 PopSci Best of What’s New The 50 most important innovations of the year
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