Press release -
Further delays for Havila Voyages
As Havila Voyages has not yet received a response to its application for a license from the Irish central bank, the company has decided to postpone the start-up of Havila Polaris until 7th of April 2023. Also, Tersan shipyard has announced delayed delivery of Havila Pollux due to force majeure after the earthquake disaster in Turkey.
Due to uncertainty when Havila Voyages will receive the license from the Irish central bank, the company has decided to cancel the departures from Bergen planned for 5th, 16th and 27th of March 2023.
“We were told a processing time of around 10 working days for the license application, and this deadline has been passed. For the sake of all concerned, we are therefore choosing to postpone start-up on route for Havila Polaris”, says managing director Bent Martini.
“This is very regrettable for our customers, the Norwegian authorities with whom we have an agreement, our partners, the coastal communities and employees. This is a situation and process that are not in control over and that we need to find a solution to. It requires decisions made without our impact, and we hope for understanding for that”.
Everyone who has booked a voyage on one of the affected departures will be contacted by Havila Voyages and given the offer to transfer to a later departure, to a departure with Havila Capella or Havila Castor or a full refund of their journey with Havila Polaris.
Time-consuming processes
Martini explains that the processes Havila Voyages has been involved in recently are time-consuming and complicated.
“We need to release security and debt on our coastal cruise ships, and do not have the opportunity to take delivery of the completed Havila Polaris before the formalities are arranged”, he says.
“This is a frustrating situation where we can only follow advice from legal advisers and the conclusions reached by courts and many countries' authorities. The processes have been more time-consuming than both our advisers and we could have predicted, and we can only wait for a clarification. We are doing our utmost to become fully operational along the Norwegian coast, which the agreement with the Norwegian authorities entitles us to, but regrettably still have to await clarifications that give us the opportunity to do so in line with current sanction regulations”.
Affected by the earthquake disaster
On Tuesday 14th of February, the Tersan shipyard reported force majeure regarding the completion of Havila Pollux. The shipyard has therefore notified that the delivery of the coastal cruise ship has been postponed, for the time being until the end of April 2023. Havila Voyages is planning the first round trip scheduled for Havila Pollux on 27th of May 2023.
“The devastating earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria has hit hard, and at the Tersan shipyard a large number of shipyard workers, and many who work with Havila Pollux, have traveled to assist in the disaster areas”, says Martini.
“We fully understand the situation Tersan is in as a result of this and have great sympathy for everyone affected after this tragic natural disaster”, he concludes.
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The Havila Voyages is a Norwegian shipping company that sails the classic coastal voyage between Bergen and Kirkenes with the Norwegian coast's most environmentally friendly ships.
The four new ships are loaded with the world's largest battery pack, and can sail for four hours without noise or emissions through vulnerable fjords. The batteries are charged with clean hydropower at shore, and when the batteries are low we switch to natural gas which cuts CO2 by around 25 %.
The hull is specially designed for maximum energy efficiency, and excess heat from cooling water and sea used for heating on board. On the menu are locally made dishes from local producers, and all unnecessary plastic is avoided. We are already exceeding the authorities' requirements for cutting emission, and we have set sail with zero emissions as the future target.
The Havila Voyages is part of the Havila Group that dates back to the 1950s. It all started when the founder, Per Sævik, bought his first fishing boat in his teens. From fishing and herring fishing, Havila is now a group operating in shipping technology, offshore, transport and tourism.
