Into the Hjørundfjord with Zero Emissions
“This Fjord is Important too”
Text: Josefine Spiro
On the 9th of September 2022, Havila Castor sailed into the Hjørundfjord for the first time, entirely emission free.
“The Hjørundfjord is one of two wonders. True enough, Geirangerfjord is on the world heritage list and has several waterfalls and other details that the Hjørundfjord doesn’t have. However, when we sail into this fjord, and stop right in between the majestic mountains, surrounded by the amazing view... In my opinion, the Hjørundfjord is just as beautiful and important as The Geirangerfjord.”
Captain Bjørn Ivar Pedersen on Havila Castor could not have asked for a better day to introduce the ship to the Hjørundfjord.
The small coastal cruise ship is almost fully booked, the September sunshine is warmer than usual, and the ripples we leave behind us in the still water are so small that you’d think they originated from a tiny boat with an outboard motor.
“It's been a while since the last time I was here, and this is the first time ever with Havila Castor, so I'm quite excited”, says the captain while smiling broadly from his chair on the bridge on deck eight.
There are still a couple of hours left until we arrive at the main destination of the day; the Hjørundfjord.
Chooses Battery when Possible
In less than four years, it will be a government requirement that all ships sailing into any Norwegian World Heritage fjord must do so entirely free of emissions. This means that no ship entering the Geirangerfjord can emit a single gram of CO2. However, Havila Voyages has in fact chosen to fulfill this requirement four years ahead of time, meaning that both Havila Capella and Havila Castor have sailed emission free through the world heritage fjord this summer. But that’s not all.
“We are already well underway using the batteries more than what is required because we think it’s important to take care of the nature, and because we are in a position to do so”, says the captain.
On the bridge: Saftey deck officer Asle Droksås, kaptein Bjørn Ivar Pedersen and
2nd mate Lukas Konrad Persen.
For example, Havila Castor sailed into the Trollfjord – completely silently, running solely on battery power – a few days ago. And this Friday afternoon, we go into the Hjørundfjord just as silent. That is something Havila Voyages plans to continue doing through the whole period when the fjord is visited, from 1 September to 31 October, on the coastal route's northbound voyage.
“We have the world's largest battery pack for passenger cruise ships on board, and we want to use it whenever appropriate, not just in the world heritage fjord”, says Pedersen.
It is not without reason that the first of Havila Voyages new ships, Havila Capella, was awarded the prestigious "Next Generation Ship Award 2022". According to our experience, Havila Voyages is – as of today – the world's most eco-friendly shipping company for passenger cruise ships.
Urke
While the ship lies silently in the fjord, the guests can participate in excursions from the harbor of a village consisting of only 38 inhabitants; Urke.
I (Josefine Spiro) joined a guided cultural walk around the village and a little further up the valley.
We had plenty of opportunities to snap photos along the way.
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