Shipbuilding order placed for world’s first ammonia-powered containership

Yara Clean Ammonia, North Sea Container Line, and Yara International have partnered with CMB.TECH to place a shipbuilding order for the world’s first ammonia-powered containership, Yara Eyde.

CMB.TECH revealed the order on February 14, stating that the 1,400 TEU ice-class containership will be built at Qingdao Yangfan Shipbuilding in China.

Expected to be delivered by mid-2026, Yara Eyde will become the world’s first ammonia-powered containership. It will serve routes between Norway and Germany.

The vessel will be owned by Delphis, the container division of CMB.TECH, and operated by NCL Oslofjord AS, a joint venture (JV) between North Sea Container Line and Yara Clean Ammonia. The commercial operations will be managed by NCL’s existing set-up while Yara Clean Ammonia will deliver ammonia fuel to the vessel.

NCL Oslofjord has secured a long-term CoA with Yara International for the freight of containers between Yara’s fertilizer plant in Porsgrunn, Norway, and Hamburg and Bremerhaven, Germany. The JV aims to become the world’s first line operator to focus exclusively on ammonia-powered ships.

Yara Eyde has been awarded around NOK 40 million ($ 3.6 million) by Norwegian government enterprise Enova for the project implementation.

The containership is also planned to be fitted with a battery pack of 250 kWh and the option to connect to shore power.

Alexander Saverys, CEO of CMB.TECH, 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, President of Yara Clean Ammonia, added: “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.”

Bente Hetland, CEO of NCL, commented : “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.”