What is the Autonomous Vessel System deployment at Porsgrunn?

Autonomous Vessel System, built by Kongsberg Maritime, is recorded as a deployment at Porsgrunn on the DEPLOY registry. Yara International operates the deployment.

Who operates Autonomous Vessel System at Porsgrunn?

Yara International operates this deployment as a customer of Kongsberg Maritime, the manufacturer of Autonomous Vessel System.

When did the Autonomous Vessel System deployment at Porsgrunn go live?

The deployment is recorded as starting April 1, 2022 on the DEPLOY registry. Earlier activity may exist but is not yet sourced.

Have there been incidents at the Autonomous Vessel System deployment at Porsgrunn?

No active incidents affecting this deployment are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Absence of recorded incidents is not a guarantee no incident occurred; DEPLOY records only sourced incidents and suppresses retracted ones.

Deployment

Autonomous Vessel System at Porsgrunn

Name: Autonomous Vessel System at Porsgrunn
Start: 2022-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Porsgrunn

Autonomous vessel control and monitoring system. Remote and autonomous ship operations including navigation, machinery control, and situational awareness.

Autonomous Vessel System by Kongsberg Maritime · Operated by Yara International · Catalog entry · 2 sources · not yet field-verified

Track Autonomous Vessel System at Porsgrunn

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Data documentation: /data
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Footage

PRIMARY SOURCE

Courtesy of Kongsberg Maritime

Official Kongsberg Maritime video showcasing the Yara Birkeland, the world's first autonomous, zero-emission container ship. The vessel is designed to operate without crew on a fixed route in Norwegian waters.

The Yara Birkeland is the world's first fully autonomous, zero-emission container ship, built by Vard and equipped with Kongsberg navigation, sensor, propulsion control, and battery management systems. Commercial operations began in spring 2022, running between Yara's production facility at Heroya in Porsgrunn and the Port of Brevik, a ~13 km route in the Telemark fjord. The ship carries fertilizer and chemicals, replacing approximately 35,000 diesel truck journeys annually. Massterly (a joint venture of Kongsberg and Wilhelmsen) manages vessel operations from its remote monitoring center in Horten. By late 2024 the Yara Birkeland had completed over 250 voyages and transported more than 35,000 containers, reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 1,000 tonnes per year. The vessel underwent a two-year technology qualification phase before full autonomous certification.

Key facts

Route: Heroya (Porsgrunn) to Port of Brevik, ~13 km, Telemark fjord, Norway
Commercial start: Spring 2022
Voyages (to late 2024): 250+
Containers transported: 35,000+
CO2 reduction: ~1,000 tonnes/year (replaces ~35,000 diesel truck journeys/year)
Operations center: Massterly remote monitoring center, Horten
Cargo: Fertilizer and chemicals from Yara's Porsgrunn production plant

Trust tier: Catalog entry · 2 sources · not yet field-verified
Last updated: 2026-06-12
Model: Autonomous Vessel System
Company: Kongsberg Maritime
Location: Porsgrunn
Operator: Yara International
Status: operational
First seen: 2022-04-01
ID: 9faa1ba4-58c6-4b82-af85-d17d358af788

Sources (2)

Yara Birkeland, world's 1st fully electric autonomous containership, marks 3 years in service · https://offshore-energy.biz/yara-birkeland-worlds-1st-fully-electric-autonomous-containership-marks-3-years-in-service/ · 2024-11-01
Electric container ship Yara Birkeland takes maiden voyage · https://www.electrive.com/2021/11/22/electric-container-ship-yara-birkeland-takes-maiden-voyage/ · 2021-11-22

Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-06-12

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-06-12

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: commercial

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: maritime

Sources by quality tier

2: unclassified; Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Common questions

What is the Autonomous Vessel System deployment at Porsgrunn?: Autonomous Vessel System, built by Kongsberg Maritime, is recorded as a deployment at Porsgrunn on the DEPLOY registry. Yara International operates the deployment.
Who operates Autonomous Vessel System at Porsgrunn?: Yara International operates this deployment as a customer of Kongsberg Maritime, the manufacturer of Autonomous Vessel System.
When did the Autonomous Vessel System deployment at Porsgrunn go live?: The deployment is recorded as starting April 1, 2022 on the DEPLOY registry. Earlier activity may exist but is not yet sourced.
Have there been incidents at the Autonomous Vessel System deployment at Porsgrunn?: No active incidents affecting this deployment are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Absence of recorded incidents is not a guarantee no incident occurred; DEPLOY records only sourced incidents and suppresses retracted ones.

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