The World's First Nearly Carbon Dioxide-Free Cargo Ship Could Soon Become a Reality

By 2026, the world's first cargo ship with nearly zero planet-heating pollution is expected to launch, powered mainly by clean ammonia instead of fossil fuels. Fertilizer producer Yara International and its partners are leading the project, aiming to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 95%.

Svein Tore Holsether, the company's president and CEO, is optimistic that the vessel will demonstrate the potential for the shipping industry to decarbonize. "It's time to move beyond long-term discussions and promises for 2040 and 2050, and instead utilize the technologies available today... and prove that they are effective," he stated in an interview with CNN.

The International Maritime Organization reports that shipping contributes to nearly 3% of worldwide annual CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions. Yara International, a major fertilizer producer, has partnered with its subsidiary Yara Clean Ammonia and Norways North Sea Container Line to develop a vessel for transporting goods between Norway and Germany.

Cutting emissions

The production of ammonia typically involves heavy use of fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, and emits vast quantities of CO2.

The International Energy Agency reports that the process releases almost double the amount of CO2 per metric ton (1.1 short ton) of ammonia compared to the manufacturing of crude steel, and four times more than cement.

Yara Clean Ammonia aims to supply a combination of "blue" and "green" ammonia for the Yara Eyde. In "blue" ammonia production, CO2 emissions are captured at the source and stored underground, whereas "green" ammonia is produced using renewable electricity.

A Yara International plant in Porsgunn, Norway

According to a spokesperson from Yara International, biodiesel will supply 5% of the ships' energy needs to start the engine before switching to burning ammonia.

The biodiesel spokesperson stated that the production of biodiesel would absorb as much CO2 as the fuel would emit when burned, making it carbon-neutral. However, researchers have discovered that biofuels, including biodiesel, are not always carbon-neutral due to the CO2 emissions involved in the production process, such as the use of fertilizers to grow the plants used.

There are other caveats too. Its not yet been decided who will build the Yara Eyde and, as such, any CO2 emissions from the construction of the ship cannot yet be estimated.

BAR Technologies/Cargill

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Green ammonia also has its drawbacks, as Faïg Abbasov, director of shipping at Transport & Environment, a Brussels-based non-profit, pointed out. "Its combustion on board the vessel creates nitrous oxide, which is the second-most potent greenhouse gas," he told CNN.

However, a Yara Clean Ammonia spokesperson reassured that a catalyzer would be installed in the ship's engine to absorb the nitrous oxide emissions, stating that the engine's design was still in a relatively early stage.

Maersk, one of the world's largest shipping firms, made headlines in 2021 when they announced their plans to purchase carbon-neutral cargo ships powered by e-methanol or sustainable bio-methanol. Their goal is to launch the first carbon-neutral vessel by the first quarter of 2024. Additionally, the shipping industry as a whole pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, with the intention of removing at least as much pollution from the atmosphere as it emits. However, this commitment was criticized by climate experts as insufficient given the growing climate crisis.