Navigating towards zero

During the session in Arendal, Bent Martini, CEO of Havila Voyages, reiterated the company’s clear goal of expanding its presence on the Coastal Route Bergen – Kirkenes – Bergen in the next contract period.

“We have ambitions for growth, and we want to grow on the coastal route. And we want to grow with a fleet consisting of ships that can meet the environmental requirements of the future, which we expect and hope the authorities will set in the new contract,” says Martini.

“Our message to politicians and decision-makers is clear: climate neutrality should be an absolute minimum in the next contract. And we will deliver on that from day one.”

Martini points out that stricter environmental requirements are fully achievable with today’s technology, and he hopes politicians will stand by the standards they set.

“If Norwegian authorities are serious about their environmental ambitions, the ships on the coastal route can be a beacon for the green transition in shipping and create synergies for other parts of the industry. Technology exists, and the opportunities are there. It’s about the willingness to make the necessary investments. With strict environmental requirements from the authorities, those who want to operate the coastal route will be forced to deliver,” he says.

“The problem for the maritime industry, when politicians waver in their decisions as we saw in the world heritage fjords, is that no one dares to invest in the green shift. At the same time, many players live in glass houses. They talk about climate, environment, and sustainability, but do vanishingly little about it. This is partly because politicians are unpredictable when they don’t set clear requirements or change the requirements along the way.”

Planning a climate-neutral round voyage – this fall
Martini also revealed that Havila Voyages is already exploring the possibility of sailing a round voyage on the coastal route climate neutrally, as early as this fall.

“Right now, we are in the planning phase to test a full round voyage on the coastal route this fall, using biogas in combination with our large battery packs. We are in dialogue with suppliers to secure sufficient volumes to be able to fill the tanks 100% with biogas, and we believe we will succeed.”

“That would mean that one of our ships, already this fall, could prove that it is possible to sail over 5,000 nautical miles, the entire Coastal Route Bergen – Kirkenes – Bergen, climate neutrally,” he concludes.

Norwegian value creation in practice
HAV Group is looking forward to the collaboration when today’s coastal route fleet is to be further optimized, and potentially new ships designed.

“The challenge Havila Voyages has given us is great, but we are ready and confident that we will deliver on the requirements,” says CEO Gunnar Larsen of HAV Group.

“Together with our subsidiaries and partners, and with the Norwegian maritime cluster, we can create something truly unique. This could be Norwegian value creation in practice, where everything from development, design, and construction happens with Norwegian suppliers on Norwegian soil. The authorities can set requirements that promote both sustainable coastal route operations and the development of the Norwegian maritime cluster – that would be a win-win,” he concludes.

* Arendalsuka is an annual political and societal event held in Arendal, Norway, where politicians, businesses, organizations, and the public meet for debates, presentations, and networking on important national and global issues. It’s often described as Norway’s version of a political festival or “democracy week.”

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