Havila Voyages has doubled its fleet with the delivery of Havila Polaris and Havila Pollux after overcoming setbacks during construction.
The Norwegian company, which offers sailings between Bergen and Kirkenes, celebrated the arrival of the new vessels with a ceremony at Turkey’s Tersan shipyard, near Yalova, on Tuesday, August 1.
The ships had been expected at an earlier stage, but Osman Nurettin Paksu, the chairman of the board of Tersan shipyard, said “challenges” were faced by both the shipyard and Havila Voyages.
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Havila Voyages chief executive Bent Martini described the delivery as a “milestone” for the company, which also owns Havila Capella and Havila Castor.
He said: “We have now reached our goal following a process that required a lot of time, resources and perseverance.”
Havila Polaris is scheduled to start operations from Bergen on August 17, with Havila Pollux due to follow the same route from August 23.
All four of Havila Voyages’ ships – which are valued at around €150 million each – are loaded with the world’s largest battery pack and can sail for four hours without noise or emissions, according to the company.
The batteries are charged with clean hydropower at shore, but when they are running low the ships switch to natural gas which cuts carbon dioxide emissions by around 25%.
Martini said Havila Voyages used “significant resources” for legal help stemming from “challenges” that arose on February 24 last year.
“We now own all our ships ourselves, and with that we have succeeded in our goal in the refinancing process,” Martini said.
Celebrating the delivery of the ships, he said: “We remained confident we would reach this moment, even though we have encountered new challenges at every turn.
“Now that we finally possess our own beautiful and state-of-the-art coastal route ships with spacious cabins and a high level of comfort for everyone on board, it’s a milestone for the shipping company.”
Paksu described the delivery ceremony as a “fantastic day”, adding that he was pleased his shipyard had completed all four of Havila Voyages’ vessels.
He said: “Despite challenges for both us and Havila Voyages during the construction process of these impressive ships, we are very happy to have delivered four marvellous ships .
“These are the most modern and environmentally friendly ships on the Norwegian coastal route, and we are proud that these four sister ships carry the name of Tersan shipyard along the beautiful Norwegian coast.
“We also thank Havila Voyages and its cooperative representatives for their support and efforts who made these deliveries possible. It has been a pleasure working with them.”
Martini thanked the shipyard for its “excellent cooperation and great understanding”, adding that four “fantastic” ships had been built.
The hull on each has been specially designed for maximum energy efficiency, according to Havila Voyages, with the eventual aim being for the ships to run on “zero emissions”.
Photo: Havila Voyages chief executive Bent Martini raises the shipping company’s flag on Havila Polaris, watched by Captain Kurt Harald Nærbø. Credit: Martin Giskegjerde/Oclin