The “ghost ship”, the world’s first fully electric autonomous cargo ship, recently made its maiden voyage from Norway, offering a clue to a greener, cleaner and unmanned future of sea voyage.
This 80-meter-long ship with a dead weight of approximately 3,200 tons is named Yara Birkeland. Due to the fact that it is a completely uncrewed ship, it is popularly known as the “ghost ship”. A sensor and computer system allows the ship to be commanded autonomously or via remote control, eliminating the need for a crew on board. Also, the ship is electric motor and battery powered, meaning it produces zero oscillations.
After 4 years of work, Yara Birkeland, which is ready for its first voyage, can operate completely without a crew and is battery powered. Onboard batteries generate 7 megawatt-hours of energy, which can give the ship a top speed of 13 knots or 15 mph. In this process, 103 containers can be transported.
The maiden voyage from Horten to Oslo on Thursday 18 November was only a demo trip attended by the Norwegian Prime Minister and Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy. However, the company aims to put the ship into commercial operation over the next few years, transporting mineral fertilizers from Yara’s Norwegian factory in Porsgrunn to the port in Brevik. While this is a short trip by truck, lasting just over 20 minutes, the company believes it will significantly reduce its pollution output.
“The ship will reduce 1,000 tons of CO2 and replace 40,000 diesel-powered truck trips per year,” Yara CEO Svein Tore Holsether said at the launch.
Holsether continued: “This is an excellent example of the green transition in practice and we hope this ship will be the start of new types of emission-free container ships. There are many places in the world with congested roads that would benefit from a high-tech solution like this.”
In other parts of the world, autonomous ships are being tested for military purposes. Earlier this year, the US army commanded a voyage of 8,187 kilometers, passing through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Coast, with an uncrewed ship called NOMAD in the gulf.
Autonomous ships have both advantages and disadvantages over conventional ships. First of all, most shipwrecks are caused by “human error”, so computer systems can prove to be a much safer captain than a human. Lack of crew also means ships have more room for cargo, are built lighter and use less fuel.
On the other hand, emerging technology brings new challenges ranging from the threat of cyber attacks to reliability issues. Also, Camille Egloff, a shipping specialist at Boston Consulting Group, told AFP about Yara Birkeland’s maiden voyage that autonomous vessels are currently only capable of making coastal and river routes, not long ocean crossings.
Since this technology is so new, the regulations are also very limited and this problem should be resolved relatively soon. However, it seems certain that uncrewed ships will play a big role in the future of maritime transport, regardless of the disruptions that may occur at the beginning.
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