Norway-based Havyard Design & Solutions is entering into a new segment as it has won a contract for the design of two new cargo vessels for Greenland’s Royal Arctic Line.
As informed, the vessels will be carrying temperature-regulated containers and general cargo and are expected to be an important part of the infrastructure in Greenland.
The Greenland government has awarded Royal Arctic Line an exclusive license for all sea freight to Greenland, which secures supplies for the whole country. The license also entails multiple obligations regarding frequency, capacity, and supplies for all towns on the west and east coast.
The two vessels will operate in northwest Greenland, which makes stringent requirements of the vessels’ design, as they will operate in a rough climate, sail in and out of shallow ports, meet ice class requirements and comply with the Polar Code. Havyard 974 was developed in close collaboration with the shipping company in order to meet these requirements, according to the ship designer.
“Our collaboration with Royal Arctic Line A/S has been very fruitful, and there’s a good chance that Havyard will get more opportunities in this segment,” Gisle Vinjevoll Thrane, Havyard’s Senior Vice President Sales, said.
The 67-meter-long vessels will be built at Zamakona Yards in Spain and are scheduled for delivery in 2020. With a total cargo capacity of 60 containers, they will replace the vessels Pajuttaat and Vestlandia, which were built in 1979 and 1983, respectively. This is in line with Royal Arctic Line’s strategy to renew outdated vessels.
“The capacity of the new vessels will be much greater than the old ones,” Anders Bay Larsen, Head of Fleet Management at Royal Arctic Line, explained.
Royal Arctic Line A/S handles all sea freight to and from the thirteen biggest ports in Greenland.