Havila Polaris has set sail from Bergen on its first climate-neutral voyage along the coastal route. On board were international guests, media representatives and people who live and work on the coast.
The coastal cruise ship was fuelled with a total of 350 cubic metres of biogas for the 12-day journey from Hammerfest to Bergen and back. This volume reduces CO₂ emissions by more than 90 per cent and shows that more environmentally friendly shipping is already possible today.
Experts from the maritime industry, environmental organisations, energy suppliers and representatives of local politics in Møre and Romsdal discussed how common goals and interests can be united for the benefit of the climate.
There is agreement that predictable political framework conditions are now needed to enable climate-neutral operation of the coastal route – and thus more jobs, more circular economy and a better quality of life along the coast.
“We have a responsibility to the people and communities along our unique coastline. And we know that biogas is already an effective solution for sailing the coastal route with very low emissions without having to make technical changes to our ships. However, to achieve this, we must push ahead with the numerous initiatives to expand and provide the necessary infrastructure,” says Bent Martini, CEO of Havila Voyages.
Consensus along the coast
Many of the participants emphasised that technology, environmental awareness and value creation can go hand in hand. Biogas enables climate-neutral freight transport, travel and tourism. However, the future of the numerous biogas projects depends on government support. It is precisely these projects that enable both the economy and travellers to opt for sustainable alternatives.
“We are very pleased that Havila Voyages has decided to take these measures and is demonstrating that emission-free operation along the coastal route is possible,” says Elise Caspersen, maritime affairs specialist at the Zero Environmental Foundation.
“Our politicians are not working fast enough. We have seen many good intentions, but in the end they backed down and did not implement the regulations they should have implemented for a greener future.”
Molgas Energy, together with Barents Naturgass, is one of the two biogas suppliers for the historic voyage of the Havila Polaris. The first delivery of 200 cubic metres was made by Barents Naturgass to Polarbase in Hammerfest on 26 November 2025, with the remaining 150 cubic metres delivered by Molgas Energy in Bergen on Sunday, 30 November. By Thursday, 11 December 2025, the ship will have travelled more than 5,000 kilometres along the coastal route – powered by biogas and batteries.
“We believe that biogas is one of the best alternatives for achieving significant emissions reductions at sea. These reductions can already be achieved today, while we must continue to expand production capacity,” says Gunnar Helmen, Director of Maritime at Molgas Energy.
“A company like Havila Voyages, with such clear ambitions and plans, will motivate us to find suppliers and partners who can boost biogas production in Norway. Nevertheless, we need the support of the authorities to get this off the ground quickly enough, and it is a great opportunity for them to make simple decisions that will have a big impact right now”.
Not backing down
Havila Voyages continues to believe that stricter environmental requirements should be an absolute minimum requirement in the next tender period for the coastal route, and according to Bent Martini, the company has no plans to change its ambitions for the future.
“If you want to lead the way, you always have to expect both support and headwinds. But recent developments and discussions have shown that the wind is now blowing from a different direction. That’s why we are sticking to our goal of operating the coastal route climate-neutral with all four ships from the end of 2028,” he concludes.
Source: Havila Newsroom
Images: Havila Cruises Media Library
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