Fjord1 Explained

Fjord1 AS
Type:Aksjeselskap
Foundation:2001
Location:Florø, Norway
Key People:Dagfinn Neteland (CEO)
Area Served:Norway
Industry:Transport
Revenue:NOK 2,835 million (2021)
Operating Income:NOK 280 million (2021)
Num Employees:1201 (2021)
Homepage:www.fjord1.no

Fjord1 AS is a Norwegian transport conglomerate, one of the largest in the Norwegian transport sector. Formed in 2001, company headquarters are in Florø, with the headquarters of the ferry division in Molde. It operates a fleet of environmentally friendly vessels in the Norwegian fjords.

Formation

Nordvestlandske was formed in 2001 by the merger of the county council-owned ferry companies Møre og Romsdal Fylkesbåtar and Fylkesbaatane i Sogn og Fjordane, becoming Fjord1 in December 2002.[1] The fact that the merged company headquarters were located in Sogn og Fjordane made the merger unpopular in Møre og Romsdal county. The choice of name, Fjord1, was also not well-accepted among the local population. These strains on public relations, amongst other things, resulted in talks intended to further the merger process breaking down during the winter and spring of 2004.

Fjord1 AS was listed on the main list on the Oslo Stock Exchange on 15 August 2017.[1] In 2021, US investment firm Vision Ridge Partners and Havila Holding, an investment company owned by the Sævik family, privatised the company, with each having 50% ownership.[2]

Operations

The company is one of the largest in the Norwegian transport sector.[2] A holding company with numerous subsidiaries, its main assets are the two ferry companies MRF and Fylkesbaatane, which serve the rugged and numerous fjords of Møre og Romsdal and Vestland counties. The company is involved in numerous transport ventures within its two home counties, including a 66% ownership of the bus company Aukra Auto, a 49% ownership of fast ferry company Kystekspressen (operates an express boat route from Kristiansund to Trondheim) and a 49% of Fjord1 Partner, that operates the Bergen Light Rail. It owned four local bus companies, including Fjord1 Buss Møre, Fjord1 Sogn Billag, Hallingdal Billag and Fjord1 Nordfjord-Ottadalen.

In 2005, the company had 75 ships, 394 buses and 147 trucks and transported 24 million passengers. A study by Siemens and the Bellona Foundation in 2016 identified that of Norway's 180 ferries on 112 ferry routes, 127 could feasibly be replaced with either fully electric or hybrid ferries.[3] Fjord1 is transitioning to low- and zero-emission technology and introduced two fully electric ferries, and on the E39 Anda to Lote route in 2018.[4] Between 2017 and 2021, Fjord1 put into service 26 new hybrid-battery ferries and converted a further eight vessels to hybrid-battery propulsion, so they had 34 hybrid battery vessels operating on 17 routes, approximately 43 per cent of its ferries.[5] The 2019 Annual Report records 19.9 Million passengers and 9.9 million vehilcles carried.[6]

The group also operates in the tourism sector, through Fjord Tours Group (50/50 ownership with Vy-Gruppen) and The Fjords (50/50 ownership with Aurland Ressursutvikling).

year built passenger capacity route
MF Aukra 1978 245
MF Aurland 1977 146
MF Austrått 2018 195 Brekstad - Valset
MF Bergensfjord 2006 589 Mortavika - Arsvågen
MF Bjørnsund 1979 245 Festvåg - Misten
MF Boknafjord 2011 589 Mortavika - Arsvågen
MF Bolsøy 1971 345 Geiranger - Hellesylt
MF Bømlafjord 2020 145 Buavåg - Langevåg
MF Dalsfjord 1986 146
MF Davik 2009 196 Askvoll - (Fure) - (Gjervik)
MF Driva 1963 146 Arasvika - Hennset
MF Dryna 2005 146 Brattvåg - Dryna (until 31-12-2022)
MF Edøyfjord 2011 146 relief
MF Eid 1978 146 Sæbø - Leknes
MF Eidsfjord 2017 345 Anda - Lote
MF Eira 2002 297 relief
MF Eresfjord 2019 295 Sølsnes - Åfarnes
MF Fanafjord 2007589 laid up
MF Fannefjord 2010 390 Drag - Kjøpsvik (from 1-12-2022)
MF Fedjebjørn 2019 145
MF Florøy 2020 295 Ranavik - Skjersholmane
MF Geiranger 1979 245
MF Giskøy 2019 394 Hareid - Sulesund
MF Gloppefjord 2017 345 Anda - Lote
MF Glutra 2000 345 Bognes - Skarberget (from 1-12-2022)
MF Grip 2020 395 Seivika - Tømmervåg
MF Gulen 1989 295 laid up
MF Hadarøy 2018 394 Hareid - Sulesund
MF Harøy 2006 146 relief
MF Hillefjord 2019 299 Ranavik - Skjersholmane
MF Hjørundfjord 2011 292 relief
MF Horgefjord 2018 295 Hufthamar - Krokeide
MF Hornelen 2016 195 Måløy - Husevågøy - Oldeide
MF Husavik 2018 146 Husavik - Sandvikvåg
MF Ivar Aasen 1997 295 Solholmen - Mordalsvågen
MF Julsund 2004 295 Jektevik - (Nordhuglo) - Hodnanes
MF Kommandøren 2018 296 Halhjem - Våge
MF Korsfjord 2010 390 Halsa - Kanestraum
MF Kvernes 1976 147 Festøya - Hundeidvika
MF Lifjord 2010 346 laid up
MF Losna 2016 196 Rysjedalsvika - (Rutledal) - (Losna) - Krakhella
MF Lote 2006 438 Bognes - Skarberget (from 1-12-2022)
MF Lærdal 1997 296 Gjermundshamn - (Varaldsøy) - Årsnes
MF Mastrafjord 2007 589 Mortavika - Arsvågen
MF Moldefjord 2009 390 Halsa - Kanestraum
MF Møkstrafjord 2018 295 Hufthamar - Krokeide
MF Møringen 2020 195 Sandvika - Edøya
MF Norangsfjord 2010 350 Aukra - Hollingsholmen
MF Nordfjord 2001 146 Askvoll - (Fure) - Værlandet
MF Raunefjord 2007 589 Mortavika - Arsvågen (relief)
MF Romsdal 1988 73
MF Romsdalsfjord 2010 390 Halsa - Kanestraum
MF Rovdehorn 2019 394 Sykkylven - Magerholm
MF Rødvenfjord 2021 295 Sølsnes - Åfarnes
MF Samlafjord 2019 295
MF Selje 1987 199 Stårheim - Isane
MF Sildafjord 2020 299 Gjermundshamn - (Varaldsøy) - Årsnes
MF Skopphorn 2019 394 Sykkylven - Magerholm
MF Smøla 2020 195 Sandvika - Edøya
MF Sogn 1982 345 relief
MF Sognefjord 1984 443 relief
MF Solnør 1977 146 relief
MF Solskjel 1981 198 laid up
MF Stangvikfjord 2020 149 Kvanne - Rykkjem
MF Stavangerfjord 2007 589 Mortavika - Arsvågen
MF Stordal 1979 245
MF Storfjord 2011 292 Leirvåg - Sløvåg
MF Sulafjord 1986 399 relief
MF Suløy 2019 394 Hareid - Sulesund
MF Sunnfjord 1978 194
MF Svanøy 1992 89
MF Sykkylvsfjord 1975 146 Stranda - Liabygda
MF Tustna 2019 394 Seivika - Tømmervåg
MF Vestrått 2018 195 Brekstad - Valset
MF Veøy 1974 345 Geiranger - Hellesylt
MF Volda 2002 297 Stranda - Liabygda
MF Vågsøy 2009 147 Molde - Sekken
MF Årdal 2008 292 Hatvik - Venjaneset
Passenger boats
MS Fjordglytt 2000 81
MS Sylvarnes 2000 70
MS Tansøy 2007 94
[7] [8] [9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Our History. Fjord1. 16 January 2023.
  2. Web site: Vision Ridge and Havila finalise privatisation of ferry firm Fjord1. Bloomberg UK. 26 August 2021. 16 January 2023.
  3. Web site: Feasible to Replace 70% of Norwegian Ferries with Fully Electric or Hybrid Ferries. CleanTechnica. 27 July 2016. James Ayre. 16 January 2023.
  4. News: Road To Zero Emission: Naming Ceremony of Battery Electric Ferries held in Norway. Marine Insight. 16 March 2018. 16 January 2023.
  5. Web site: First Quarter Report. pdf. 20 May 2022. Fjord1. 16 January 2023.
  6. Web site: Annual Report 2019. Fjord1. pdf. 16 January 2023.
  7. Web site: Annual Report 2021. Fjord1. pdf. 16 January 2023.
  8. Web site: Our vessels. Fjord1. 14 January 2023.
  9. Web site: Fjord1 - Active Ships. The Ferry Site. 14 January 2023.