Press release -
Havila Kystruten not allowed to insure Havila Capella
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected the application for a exemption in order to insure Havila Capella.
In a decision made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 26 April 2022, it became known that they had granted Havila Kystruten a exemption from the sanctions regulations to operate Havila Capella for 6 months.
The exemption did not entail any right to insure the ship and on Monday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the shipping company's application to take out insurance on the grounds that being able to take out insurance in itself would mean that a property is made available to the registered owner.
“This is very disappointing and means that we still have an unresolved situation for Havila Capella. Based on this, we have no choice but to cancel Havila Capella's next roundtrip along the Norwegian coast, which was scheduled to start in Bergen on 15thof May, says CEO Bent Martini.
“We are very sorry for the situation that has arisen beyond our control, and for the consequences this means for the coastal population, our passengers, employees and suppliers.”
Martini also says that Havila Kystruten is confused by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' assessment.
“As the sanctions are set up, any insurance payment will not benefit the ship's registered owner. In the event of a total loss, other parties will receive the insurance payment. We can do nothing but accept the authorities' assessment, but disagree with the decision”, he says.
Havila Kystruten will now continue the work of finding a solution to get Havila Capella back in traffic.
“We will not give up and will strive to find a possible way out of a very demanding situation. Until we have clarified the room for maneuver we are facing, it is difficult to provide any more information at this time”, says Martini.
Passengers that were booked on the next round trip will be offered to rebook their tickets to a sailing with Havila Castor, or a full refund of their tickets.
Havila Castor sails as planned
Havila Capella's sister ship, Havila Castor, sails as planned from Bergen on Tuesday 10th of May at 8.30 pm.
“Everyone on board the Havila Castor, our own employees and suppliers, as well as the crew from Havila Capella who have assisted, have worked night and day to prepare for tomorrow's maiden voyage. I am impressed by the willingness to make an effort, and I am happy that Havila Castor is on schedule”, Martini 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.
