Work has officially started on the world’s first containership designed to run on renewable ammonia. The vessel, named Yara Eyde, is being built at Qingdao Yangfan Shipbuilding in China under a joint venture between Yara Clean Ammonia, Yara International, North Sea Container Line (NCL), and Belgian CMB.TECH. The steel-cutting ceremony marked the official start of construction and a milestone in the maritime industry’s decarbonization efforts.
Yara Eyde will have a capacity of 1,400 TEU and an ice-class rating. In addition to ammonia fuel, the ship will be equipped with a 250 kWh battery and can draw electricity from shore power. The vessel will be owned by Delphis, a CMB.TECH subsidiary, and operated by NCL Oslofjord AS, a new joint venture between NCL and Yara Clean Ammonia.
The containership is scheduled for delivery in mid-2026 and will operate on the Oslo–Porsgrunn–Bremerhaven–Rotterdam route, connecting industrial clusters in Norway and Germany. This project demonstrates the practical potential of ammonia as a low-emission marine fuel while combining battery and shore-power support for additional environmental efficiency.
Ammonia has advanced quickly as a marine fuel, progressing from concept to early implementation within five years. According to classification society DNV, 39 ammonia-fuelled ships are already on order worldwide, mainly in the tanker and general cargo sectors. Commercial engines have entered the market, and initial bunkering trials have taken place in ports such as Singapore and Rotterdam.
Production and infrastructure, however, still need to scale up. Global ammonia production capacity is projected to reach 14 million tonnes annually by 2030, while ports and crews will require standardized systems, regulations, and training to handle the fuel safely.
Photo: Yara
