Havila Voyages to Sail Climate-Neutral and Challenge Government Climate Ambitions

On 26 November, Havila Polaris will fill 200 cubic meters of liquefied biogas at Polarbase outside Hammerfest. When the ship arrives in Bergen on 30 November, it will fill an additional 150 cubic meters. The total amount of biogas will be sufficient to operate Havila Polaris for a full round trip along the coastal route, in combination with the ship’s large battery packs.

“With this voyage, we aim to prove that it is entirely possible to operate the entire coastal route climate-neutrally – something we also believe should be the minimum requirement in the next tender period for the coastal route,” says CEO Bent Martini.

“Since announcing this sailing during Arendalsuka in August this year, we have worked with our gas suppliers, Barents Naturgass and Molgas, to secure enough biogas to carry out the voyage. We are pleased that the delivery is now confirmed. The amount of biogas we will have on board is significant and will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from this voyage by more than 90%.”

United for Stronger Climate Requirements
Hurtigruten, which operates the other seven ships on the coastal route, announced earlier last week that they will fill their coastal ship Richard With with biodiesel at the end of October and carry out a similar reduced-emission voyage.

“It’s very positive that Hurtigruten is now testing solutions that show the authorities don’t need to hold back on climate and environmental requirements in the next tender period,” says Martini.

“The more shipping companies that make sustainable choices, the better it is for our coast and the climate. When both companies that currently have contracts with Norwegian authorities demonstrate that stricter requirements are possible, these can be implemented from day one in the next contract period without a gradual phase-in – and we think that’s both positive and the only right thing to do.”

He also points out that there are some differences between the use of biogas and biodiesel.

“Biodiesel reduces emissions, but biogas offers even greater reductions – not only in CO₂ emissions but also in local emissions such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides, which are reduced by 100% with biogas. This has a major impact on local air quality in the 34 ports we visit along the coast,” Martini explains.

“At the same time, the choice of technical solution is not what matters most to us. What’s important is that we as shipowners take responsibility and contribute to the green transition in shipping.”

Contributing to a Circular Economy and Local Value Creation
The production and use of biogas as a future fuel will also help solve other challenges.

“Biogas plays an important role in the circular economy. It helps address waste problems and utilizes resources such as food waste, livestock manure, and fish sludge to produce biogas – which, in our case, means energy,” says Martini.

According to Biogass Norge (Norwegian page), the end product of biogas production is an organic material called biofertilizer. This nutrient-rich fertilizer can replace artificial fertilizers and increase the carbon content in soil. Using biofertilizer returns nutrients to farmers, spreading them on fields so that new production benefits from them in a circular cycle.

Martini also emphasizes that producing biogas along the Norwegian coast will create significant local value.

“That’s where biogas gives an extra benefit. Looking ahead, and by the end of 2028, we aim to operate solely on biogas. This gas will be produced and sourced along the Norwegian coast. It’s short-traveled, will create local jobs, and strengthen the value chains along our route. As a Norwegian company with Norwegian ownership, this is important to us – and it makes our solution even more valuable for the local communities we serve every day, all year round,” he says.

No Technical Adjustments Needed on the Ships
Havila Voyages’ four ships are currently powered by a combination of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and large battery packs, which reduce CO₂ emissions by 35% compared to reference figures from 2017 for diesel-powered ships on the coastal route. Local emissions of nitrogen and sulfur oxides (NOx and SOx) are reduced by 87% and 100%, respectively, with current operations.

“When it comes to greenhouse gas reductions, we already far exceed the minimum 25% CO₂ reduction requirement set by the Norwegian authorities in the current contract. That’s significant already – but we want to go further,” says Martini.

Switching to biogas will not require any technical modifications to Havila Voyages’ ships, as biogas has the same properties as natural gas but with a much lower carbon footprint.

“One of the most important things for us is to continue reducing our ships’ energy consumption. Our vessels are probably best in class today, and together with HAV Group, we’ve identified potential for a further 20–30% energy reduction in operation. Reduced consumption combined with a cleaner energy source will help achieve the necessary environmental goals,” says Martini.

Despite the biogas bunkering in both Hammerfest and Bergen, the biogas will be mixed with the existing natural gas already in Havila Polaris’s tanks.

“It’s important to point out that it’s not possible to have 100% biogas in our tanks from these two bunkerings, as we will arrive at Polarbase with some remaining natural gas on board. We cannot pump out that gas, and it would be irresponsible from a safety perspective to approach Polarbase with almost empty tanks,” Martini explains.

“We look forward to welcoming our guests on board in November and marking another milestone in our ongoing effort to show that real sustainability means setting ambitious goals – both for emissions reduction and value creation – and delivering on them, voyage by voyage,” concludes Martini.