# Autonomous Vessel System at Porsgrunn: deployment

Canonical ID: `9faa1ba4-58c6-4b82-af85-d17d358af788`

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.

## Footage

- **video** (deployment): [The world's first autonomous, zero emission container ship](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VBD7hVRhx0). _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.

## 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_

- **Slug:** kongsberg-yara-birkeland-porsgrunn
- **Status:** operational
- **Model:** [Autonomous Vessel System](/models/kongsberg-autonomous-system.md) (id: `7b1525f9-d918-4590-b7e9-a50e3bcea929`)
- **Company:** [Kongsberg Maritime](/companies/kongsbserg-maritime.md) (id: `61f8793e-2fb8-470a-962e-ef025146862a`)
- **Location:** [Porsgrunn](/locations/porsgrunn-norway.md) (id: `ecadf2d3-5b13-4eb9-a003-66e68f886014`)
- **Operator:** [Yara International](/companies/yara-birkeland.md) (id: `571e2b9f-329e-4b65-a15e-f4da689c1ced`)
- **First seen:** 2022-04-01T00:00:00.000Z

## Verification log (0, append-only)

_No verifications recorded._

## Sources (2)

1. **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
2. **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

## 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.


_API: GET /v1/robots/9faa1ba4-58c6-4b82-af85-d17d358af788 · feeds: GET /v1/feeds?deploymentId=9faa1ba4-58c6-4b82-af85-d17d358af788 · canonical URL: /deployments/kongsberg-yara-birkeland-porsgrunn_