Norwegian shipping company Havila Kystruten took delivery of its 2nd eco-friendly hybrid-powered ferry Havila Castor at Tersan shipyard (Turkey).
According to the company, the new cruise ship is expected to arrive in Bergen (Norway) around May 5 and start sailing the Bergen-Kirkenes coastal route on May 10.
Havila Castor has a full 86-ton battery pack with an output of 6.1 MWh. The vessel is said to be able to sail for up to 4 hours on pure battery power, emission-free.
In addition, the ferry runs on LNG-liquefied natural gas, which reduces CO2 emissions by ~25% and NOx emissions by almost 90%.
Like her sistership Havila Capella, Havila Castor is built to run on the fuel of the future like LBG-liquid biogas which can be used immediately/mixed into the LNG tank. The systems onboard are prepared to use hydrogen/ammonia as fuel in the future.
Havila Castor boasts a market value of ~NOK 1.2 billion (~US$130.8 million) and is financed with equity & a loan of EUR 46 million (~US$49 million) from Tersan shipyard and the yard’s bank. The loan is for a 3-month period.
The initial financing couldn't be carried out as the leasing company’s lack of financing for the delivery term had resulted in Havila Kystruten being referred to take over the vessel by means of alternative financing.
Bent Martini, CEO of Havila Kystruten said, the solution also meant that GTLK had no security in Havila Castor, and the result was that their shipping company owned the ship 100% from today’s date.
Havila Castor is owned by the HK Ship V AS company, a 100% owned subsidiary of Havila Kystruten Operations AS.
According to Martini, the company was already in the process of refinancing Havila Castor and the 2 remaining ferries that will be delivered later in 2022, as well as Havila Capella.