Shipowner Per Saevik is scouting shipyards for newbuildings after snapping Hurtigruten’s century-long stranglehold on a Norwegian coastal shipping route.
Saevik backed Havila Kystruten has broken into the Bergen and Kirkenes route which has been run by Hurtigruten since it was founded in 1893.
TDR Capital-controlled Hurtigruten will keep seven ships for the business, with Saevik set to take over four of the vessels.
Saevik says talks with selected yards are already well advanced and that a preliminary building contract should be concluded by the end of April.
“And as the ships must be ready to be put in service in 2021 a contract must be concluded before the summer,” the shipowner added.
The Norwegian government, whose transport minister is from the free markets-friendly Progress Party, has welcomed completion and has now decided to split the contract coastal contract.
It is estimated that the four ships will cost Havila Kystruten NOK 3bn ($375m) to NOK 3.4bn in total.
Saevik ruled out building them all at one yard, with facilities in Norway, Turkey, Spain and Croatia on the list.
“In order to reduce risk of late delivery we will conclude with at least two shipyards,” he said.
The four ships will be built to a newly developed design from Havyard Design, which also is controlled by Saevik.
His family also controls offshore vessel owner Havila Shipping and ferry company Fjord 1.
Hurtigruten will now pull four ships out of the service and employ them on full commercial service on the Norwegian coast, more like cruise vessels.
Hurtigruten will also convert the seven ships that will call on all 34 ports so that they can be run on LNG. That is estimated to cost NOK 200m per vessel.
