Nordland County Council has recommended Boreal Sjø for a 10-year contract worth just under NOK2.5 billion ($27 million) covering express boat services along the Nordland coast, the authority announced on September 10.
Boreal already operates the Nordlandsekspressen (NEX) and Helgelandspendelen services. The new agreement combines assignments previously tendered separately and is scheduled to run until March 31, 2037.
Operations under the contract are planned to begin on February 1, 2027, for Helgelandspendelen and March 1 for Nordlandsekspressen. The latter comprises NEX1 between Bodø and Sandnessjøen and NEX2 between Bodø and Svolvær.
The county expects the two services to cost about 17 per cent more than under the existing arrangements, broadly in line with its expectations.
An option for additional NEX2 summer sailings is priced at about NOK3.5 million a year. The seasonal service is intended to include calls serving Steigen and Hamarøy after an earlier summer departure was removed.
“We have, through clear priorities and requirements in the new tender, secured an offer that ensures the summer route in the new contract,” Nordland transport executive councillor Richard Dagsvik said.
The timetable also includes daily NEX1 calls at Bjørn on Dønna and daily signal calls at Holkestad on NEX2. Helgelandspendelen connects island communities along the Helgeland coast, where high-speed passenger vessels provide links to larger transport hubs.
Nordland County Council will supply three Brødrene Aa-built catamarans and lease them to the operator. Delivered in 2019 for the current NEX contract, the sister vessels Elsa Laula Renberg and Regine Normann measure 44.2 metres. The 43.6-metre Fredrikke Tønder-Olsen entered Helgelandspendelen service in 2021. The vessels have service speeds of about 32–33 knots.
Boreal will be responsible for operating and maintaining the vessels and providing reserve capacity. Jernøy is the current common reserve vessel, while arrangements for simultaneous reserve requirements will be settled during contract preparations.
The contract strengthens sanctions for missed services and requires alternative transport during some disruptions. Examples identified by the county include services to and from Skutvik when vessels cannot cross Vestfjorden, or a bus between Ørnes and Bodø when the Støtt–Bodø leg cannot operate.
The tender also allows Nordland to introduce a lower-emission experimental vessel developed through the Fremtidens hurtigbåt project. Any construction, testing or entry into service remains dependent on approval of an application to develop the vessel.