havila castor - most environmentally friendly passenger ship to sail Norwegian coastal route

Havila Voyages newest passenger ship, environmentally friendly Havila Castor, will operate the classic coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes. 

Havila Castor's energy-efficient hull design was created to handle the varied Norwegian coastal weather.

image (c) Havila Voyages

The ship has the world's largest passenger ship battery pack with 6.1 megawatt hours (MWh) meaning the ship can sail emission-free for up to four hours.

"We have a state-of-the-art ship with large cabins and stylish Nordic design that our passengers will be able to enjoy to the fullest” (CEO Bent Martini.)

Martini explained, "Our ships are the most environmentally friendly passenger ships to sail the classic coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenesand.  Havila Castor will be the first ship to sail into the world heritage site of the Geirangerfjord silently and emission-free."  He went on, "The ship's propulsion is a combination of natural gas (LNG) and the battery pack, so reducing  CO2 emissions by up to 30 % and NOX emissions by 90c%. This means that ships of Havila Voyages are the most environmentally friendly ships that sail the coastal route. Our investment in climate, environment and sustainability is more than just words. We will deliver from day one on the requirements that were set in the contract with the Ministry of Transport”.

Havila Castor is also built for climate-neutral fuel alternatives such as hydrogen and ammonia. With current technology, gradual blending of biogas will further reduce CO2 emissions. As well as reduced emissions, other properties include heat recovery from sea and cooling water as well as a food concept that includes food sourced from short-haul and local producers. The menu on board changes during the sailing to reflect the areas in which Havila Castor sails.

Martini explained, “Our goal is to cut food waste on board and we have a unique food concept which, among other things, means that we do not have a buffet. There has been a lot of positive feedback regarding menus. We are very much looking forward to getting the ship on the route along the Norwegian coast on the maiden voyage”.

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