Yara Eyde, which has been described as the world’s first containership to be powered by pure ammonia as fuel, is scheduled to enter the market in 2026, according to its developers, according to Offshore Energy.
The vessel is being developed by ammonia producer and shipowner Yara Clean Ammonia and the Norwegian container operator NorthSea Container Line.
Namely, the duo plans to set up a joint venture, named NCL Oslofjord AS, to operate the ammonia-powered ship.
Upon establishment, the joint venture aims to become the world’s first line operator to focus exclusively on ammonia-powered container ships.
Yara Eyde has been awarded around NOK 40 million ($ 3.6 million) by Norwegian government enterprise Enova for the project implementation.
The containership is also planned to be fitted with a battery pack of 250 kWh and the option to connect to shore power.
Yara Eyde is intended to operate between Norway and Germany, making the route the first emission-free sea route to the continent. The vessel design is optimized for the trade corridor between Norway and Europe linking Oslo, Brevik, Hamburg, and Bremerhaven.
Yara Clean Ammonia estimates that the ship will be ready to start operations from 2026.