With the aim to grow on the Norwegian coastal route Bergen–Kirkenes–Bergen in the next contract period, Havila Voyages and HAV Group have announced to deepen their cooperation.
Together they have defined clear ambitions for lower emissions and higher energy efficiency for the next generation of coastal route vessels as well as for the further development of Havila Voyages’ current fleet.
Since 2022, Havila Voyages’ four Turkish-built LNG hybrid ships have been the only shipping company to sail emission-free to World Heritage regions such as the Geirangerfjord.
During the Nor-Shipping maritime trade fair in Lillestrøm, Gunnar Larsen, CEO of the HAV Group, and Bent Martini, CEO of Havila Voyages, presented their initial thoughts on continuing their collaboration. The goal is clear: Havila Voyages wants to grow on the Bergen – Kirkenes – Bergen route in the next contract period and further reduce its emissions in the process.
Havila plans to further optimize its ships
“Even with the current fleet, we can already achieve minimal CO2 neutrality by using biogas. The current ships can be further optimized and operated with green hydrogen or CO2 capture with LNGameChanger. This is realistic – not just a vision,” says Bent Martini of Havila Voyages. “In addition, it is possible to optimize the energy consumption on today’s ships by up to 30%, which will have a significant positive impact on reducing emissions.”
With these growth ambitions on the coastal route, the company also needs to build new ships. “Together with the HAV Group, we have started to look at the next generation of coastal route vessels. These will be based on the current fleet, but will be even better and have features that surpass the already strong foundation,” explains Martini.
Year-round CO2 neutrality on the route
Details of the potential new ships have not yet been finalized, but several solutions have already been discussed. “Optimizing energy consumption on board – both in hotel operations and in the propulsion systems – is effective for reducing emissions, but also makes economic sense. At the same time, we want ships that produce the lowest possible emissions, regardless of energy consumption,” says Martini. “We have a clear message to the Norwegian authorities: much stricter environmental requirements in the next contract. Year-round CO2 neutrality on the entire route is our firm recommendation – and we are ready to implement this with our entire fleet from day one.”
At Nor-Shipping, Larsen and Martini invited the Norwegian maritime cluster to work closely together to realize these ambitions. “The Norwegian maritime cluster is a world leader in innovation and development. We want to work closely with suppliers who see solutions that can make the coastal route a pioneer in reducing the climate impact of large passenger ships,” summarizes Martini.
HAV Group is already working on solutions for the current fleet and future coastal route vessels: “Havila Voyages’ requirements are clear and we wholeheartedly accept the challenge,” says Gunnar Larsen from HAV Group. “We are very much looking forward to this collaboration and, as a provider of maritime solutions together with our subsidiaries, we are confident that we can meet the requirements.” Larsen also emphasizes the importance of cooperation within the maritime cluster in order to achieve the goals.
“Together, we can continue to position Norway on the maritime map. We have the know-how and resources to find the best solutions – solutions that can also be scaled up and transferred to other areas of the shipping industry. The possibilities are endless,” concludes Larsen.
“We are sailing through the world heritage and so will those who come after us.” These words were spoken by Per Sævik, the founder of HAV Group AB, which was established in 1997 and of which Havila Kystruten is part of the tourism division. Saevik bought his first fishing boat in 1957 at the age of 16, and in the years that followed he built up an empire of shipping companies. Today, the Havila Group is active in shipping technology, offshore, transportation and tourism. Havila Voyages is the youngest subsidiary. The head office is located in Sævik’s home municipality in the small coastal town of Fosnavåg on the west coast of Norway. (CE)
