The proposal is part of the government's budget for 2027 and concerns the contract period after 2030. The framework will form the basis for the tender, which Havila says it has been told will be issued in the first half of 2027. The Storting, the Norwegian parliament, will decide on the framework in December.

"A ship is built to sail for decades. A four- to five-year contract provides no basis for investing in new ships or major technological advances," said CEO Bent Martini. Havila argues that such a short contract would in practice limit competition to today's operators and their existing fleets, and that short contracts are normally more expensive for the state because investments must be recouped over a shorter period. The oldest ship on the route will be more than 50 years old when the next contract expires, it adds.

The company also objects to the government's proposed climate requirements. The Ministry of Transport writes that requirements beyond those in legislation should only be set where the abatement cost justifies it. Havila aims to make its fleet climate-neutral on biogas by 2028 and to reach zero-emission operation from 2030. It says its ships can be used in other markets, in Norway and abroad, and that the proposals taken together leave the door open to discontinuing the coastal route after 2035.

© Shippax