CMB.Tech has ordered what it says is the world’s first ammonia-powered container ship in partnership with Yara Clean Ammonia, North Sea Container Line and Yara International through a fifteen-year deal. The vessel, to be named Yara Eyde, is a 1400 TEU ice-class container ship to be built at Qingdao Yangfan Shipbuilding in China.
Expected to be delivered by mid-2026, the Yara Eyde is set to become the world’s first ammonia-powered container vessel. It will run on clean ammonia, serving 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 between North Sea Container Line (NCL) 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. Yara and NCL had already announced the plans for the ship in November, but now CMB.Tech has joined the project and a shipyard has been found.
Also read: Yara and NCL plan first ammonia-powered container ship
Long-term CoA
The joint venture has secured a long-term Contract of Affreightment (CoA) with Yara International for the freight of containers between Yara’s fertilizer plant in Porsgrunn, Norway, and Hamburg and Bremerhaven in Germany. It is their aim to become the world’s first line operator to focus exclusively on ammonia-powered ships.
NCL Oslofjord chose to partner with CMB.Tech for its expertise in hydrogen and ammonia engines.
Alexander Saverys, CEO of CMB.Tech: ‘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.’
Also read: WinGD and CMB.Tech co-develop large ammonia-fuelled engine
