The Yara Eyde: ammonia-powered container shipping over the North Sea

Yara Clean Ammonia, North Sea Container Line announce new vessel to sail from 2026

The Yara Eyde will operate between Oslo, Brevik, Hamburg and Bremerhaven (an already established container route) from 2026. The vessel will enable Norwegian companies to export their products to Europe “on a green keel”, and for the emissions-free import of goods back to Norway.

Yara Clean Ammonia will supply the Yara Eyde with low or zero-carbon ammonia fuel via a storage and bunkering network that is being developed with Azane Fuel Solutions. Yara reports that Enova and Innovation Norway will support the first demonstrations of the ammonia bunker barges, with a pilot planned to take place in Brevik, Norway. The under-development bunkering network will first focus on Norwegian ports, before eventually expanding across Scandinavia. Along with Navigator Holdings, Yara led a recent investment round in Azane Fuel Solutions.

We are happy to be able to collaborate across sectors and show that decisive emission cuts are possible. The green journey started with the Yara Birkeland, the world’s first self-driving electric container ship, and now we continue it with the Yara Eyde, which will be the world’s first container ship on pure ammonia.

Svein Tore Holsether, CEO of Yara International in his organisation’s official press release, 2 Nov 2023

We see there is increasing demand from product owners to reduce emissions. The ship offers competitive and emission-free logistics to all cargo owners in the Oslofjord and the Greenland region.

Bente Hetland, MD of North Sea Container Line in Yara’s official press release, 2 Nov 2023

Yara has chosen to participate in this project to show that this segment can create additional growth for ammonia in the short term. Yara will contribute to developing this new market, but we will strategically use our funds to develop the production and logistics segment and not prioritize ownership in ships.

Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand, head of Yara Clean Ammonia in his organisation’s official press release, 2 Nov 2023

The new ammonia-powered shipping service will transport fertiliser from Yara’s Porsgrunn plant in Herøya, Norway to Europe, reducing Yara’s Scope 3 emissions and establishing low-carbon supply chains. Yara Clean Ammonia and North Sea Container Line will establish a joint venture to operate the vessel, aiming to become the “world’s first line operator to focus exclusively on ammonia-powered container ships”. Enova funding awarded in September this year will support the project.