World’s First Ammonia-Powered Boxship to Be Built by CMB.TECH and Yara

CMB.TECH, in conjunction with Yara Clean Ammonia, North Sea Container Line, and Yara International, has ordered the world’s first ammonia-powered boxship. 

The vessel, which will bear the name Yara Eyde, will be a 1,400 TEU ice-class containership. Construction of the vessel will take place at Qingdao Yangfan Shipbuilding in China. 

It’s anticipated that the Yara Eyde will be delivered by mid-2026, at which time it will begin serving routes between Norway and Germany. 

The vessel will be owned by the container division of CMB.TECH, Delphis, and will be operated by NCL Oslofjord, a joint venture between North Sea Container Line and Yara Clean Ammonia. The commercial operation of the vessel will be managed by North Sea Container Line, whilst the ammonia to fuel the vessel will be delivered by Yara Clean Ammonia. 

NCL Oslofjord has secured a long-term Contract of Affreightment (CoA) with Yara International. Under the terms of this CoA, the Yara Eyde will transport containers between Yara’s fertiliser plant in Porsgrunn, Norway and Hamburg and Bremerhaven in Germany. 

Commenting on the new vessel, the CEO of CMB.TECH, Alexander Saverys, said: 

“We are delighted to partner up with Yara and NCL to build the world’s first ammonia-powered container ship. Yara, NCL and CMB.TECH are walking the talk to decarbonise shipping by combining our knowhow on clean ammonia, operational excellence in the North Sea and state-of-the-art low-carbon ships. We want to prove to the world that we can decarbonise today to navigate tomorrow”.

Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand echoed Saverys’ comments, saying: 

“Uniting forward-thinking entities, this project accelerates the development of a zero-emission supply chain for Scandinavia and Northwest Europe’s container shipments. It’s the first of its kind globally, demonstrating clean ammonia’s potential to decarbonise the maritime industry. We are excited about our joint partnership with CMB.TECH, a major player in shipping and a leader in developing new fuel technologies”.

Finally, NCL’s CEO, Bente Hetland, said:

“With their extensive experience with hydrogen-based fuels, CMB.TECH was the ideal partner for this unique project. We are extremely impressed with the innovative culture in CMB.TECH and their dedication to making an impact. The project proves that decarbonisation is possible today, and we are confident that the project will pave the way for clean ammonia as a dominating fuel in the industry”.

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