Yara Clean Ammonia, North Sea Container Line, and Yara International have joined forces to realize the world’s first container ship that will use clean ammonia as fuel. Named Yara Eyde, the vessel will be the first to sail emission-free sea route between Norway and Germany.
Yara Eyde will operate between Oslo, Porsgrunn, Hamburg and Bremerhaven, so that from 2026, Norwegian companies can trade their products emissions-free in and out of Norway. Yara International is participating as cargo-owner. The fertilizer produced in Porsgrunn will be shipped emission-free to Germany, cutting scope 3 emissions with 11,000 tons of CO2 per year.
Yara Clean Ammonia and North Sea Container Line are establishing a joint venture to realize Yara Eyde, while the ship will be operated by NCL Oslofjord. The joint venture aims to become the world’s first line operator to focus exclusively on ammonia-powered container ships. Enova has awarded Yara Eyde just over NOK 40 million, and the support is decisive for implementing the project.
“We see an increasing demand from cargo owners to reduce emissions. Yara Eyde offers competitive and emission-free logistics to cargo owners,” says Bente Hetland of North Sea Container Line.
“To succeed in decarbonizing shipping, low-emission technologies must be brought to commercial scale within the next decade. It is imperative that carriers are incentivized to choose low-carbon fuel,” says Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand, President of Yara Clean Ammonia.
“This unique project takes a major step towards zero-emission supply chains for Yara and demonstrates that clean ammonia will be able to provide cost-effective and environmentally friendly maritime transport. Yara Eyde will demonstrate the maturity of ammonia as a maritime fuel,” says Ankarstrand.
Yara International is a founding member of the First Movers Coalition and supports the Green Shipping Challenge. Yara International and Yara Clean Ammonia promote low-carbon solutions across hard-to-abate sectors and clean ammonia as fuel in new and retrofitted zero-emission vessels.