Havyard Leirvik has signed a contract for electrification of the ferry MF Ibestad for the ferry company Norled. The ferry will be converted to electric operation with hybrid capacity and will enter the Svensby-Breivikeidet connection over Ullsfjorden in Troms.
In line with the green shift, MF Ibestad will be rebuilt from diesel-mechanical propulsion to electric propulsion with battery and charging from land. It must also be possible to use diesel generators over longer distances where it is not possible to charge from land. The system will be delivered by SEAM, and the start of the project at the yard is set for 01.08.2022. Battery rooms will be built, and the current two diesel engines will be replaced by electric motors for operating the propellers.
The contract is important, and supports the yard’s position as a strong player in the shipbuilding industry for hybridisations and conversions. Havyard Leirvik already has a long tradition of delivering well on new buildings and has also delivered 13 new buildings with hybrid solutions. With that in mind, the foundation is in place to deliver well on this type of mission.
According to Sales Manager for Havyard Leirvik, Silje Smådal, there is now a good increase in demand for both dock and quay work at the yard, but also for larger projects with a somewhat longer time perspective.
– It is gratifying that we have managed to maintain the status of a good newbuilding yard, at the same time as we have established ourselves in the service and conversion market. We see that our services are important in the green shift, and with our history before electrification, we have good experiences to build on. For us, this contract is yet another confirmation that we have the right expertise at hand, says Silje Smådal.
Photo: Siv-Elin Nærø
It is very gratifying that Norled chooses Havyard Leirvik as the yard for hybridization of MF Ibestad. We depend on good and demanding customers to develop us. Norled has our customer with us for service and maintenance, and has given us impulses that have helped to develop the yard in this market. We are therefore looking forward to having a larger project with them, says CEO Tor Leif Mongstad
Furthermore, Mongstad says that we are immensely happy to be able to report to our skilled employees that we have entered into a contract that provides work for the rest of the year. The yard is in a good trend with a lot of orders for service and maintenance, and with two major projects in the order book, we have secured more than half of the budgeted production in just two months.
Havyard Leirvik is a cornerstone company in the area and many have close connections to the yard either by being directly employed or through other family or professional relationships. It is therefore important to create security for the activity and show that we are competitive in a demanding market.
Cover image: Havyard Leirvik. Photo: Håvard Breidvik
