HAV Group Review: Redesigning a Vessel’s Energy Profile
December 5, 2025
HAV Group sits where a lot of owners’ current headaches meet in one place: hull form and ship design, hybrid and electric propulsion, hydrogen energy systems, and ballast / water treatment. Instead of a single niche product, they’re pushing a cluster of subsidiaries that can redesign a vessel’s energy profile from bridge to propeller and help you meet tightening emissions and water regulations with one ecosystem rather than a patchwork of vendors.
HAV Group: Headquarters
Holmefjordvegen 1, 6090 Fosnavåg, Norway
HAV Group Benefits
- Designing vessels around low-emission operations: HAV Design delivers ship designs built for energy efficiency and environmental performance from day one, so hull form, machinery layout and hotel loads are aligned with future fuel and regulatory expectations rather than adapted later.
- Integrating hybrid and electric propulsion (NES): Norwegian Electric Systems (NES), part of HAV Group, supplies low- and zero-emission energy and propulsion systems, plus smart control from bridge to propeller. That helps owners cut fuel burn and emissions through hybrid or fully electric setups on both newbuilds and retrofits.
- Stepping into hydrogen with ZEPOD®: HAV Hydrogen, a HAV Group subsidiary, offers complete, scalable hydrogen-based energy systems, including the deck-mounted Zero Emission Pod (ZEPOD®), so owners can trial or deploy hydrogen without redesigning the whole vessel from scratch. These systems are positioned for both newbuilds and retrofits.
- Using hydrogen for propulsion or auxiliary power: Installed hydrogen power can feed main propulsion or be used for additional green power at sea and alongside, reducing dependency on shore power availability while still achieving zero-emission operation in port or designated zones.
- Locking in compliance on ballast and water treatment: Norwegian Greentech, another HAV Group company, develops ballast water treatment and process water systems that are certified by IMO and USCG and approved across fresh, brackish and marine water. For owners, that means one vendor handling key water-related compliance across cargo, aquaculture and support tonnage.
- Retrofitting existing tonnage instead of waiting for newbuilds: HAV Group presents its hydrogen systems, hybrid propulsion packages and water treatment systems as suitable for retrofits as well as newbuilds, which allows owners to bring parts of the fleet in line with upcoming emission and discharge requirements on a staged basis instead of only on replacement vessels.
- Drawing on a single ecosystem instead of multiple vendors: HAV Group brings together HAV Design, HAV Hydrogen, Norwegian Electric Systems and Norwegian Greentech under one umbrella. That reduces integration risk and gives the project team one cluster to deal with on design, power systems and critical water treatment rather than juggling separate contracts in each category.
- Positioning projects for green finance and charter expectations: Because the portfolio spans energy-efficient designs, hybrid propulsion, hydrogen systems and certified water treatment, owners can build a clearer decarbonisation and compliance narrative around HAV Group-equipped vessels, which may support access to sustainability-linked finance and help satisfy charterers’ ESG reporting pressures.
Notes: Summary based on HAV Group and subsidiary materials. Confirm scope, class approvals and economics for your vessel or series with your own RFQs and feasibility work.
Notable mentions and references
Where HAV Group companies show up in real projects, funding rounds and fleet upgrades.
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Funding for five hydrogen-powered dry bulk newbuilds FuelCellsWorks / HAV HydrogenFuelCellsWorks reports that HAV Group has been awarded funding to realise five hydrogen-powered dry-bulk newbuilds, using HAV Hydrogen’s energy systems as a core part of the concept. Read the piece: HAV Group Awarded Funding to Realize Five Hydrogen-Powered Dry-Bulk Newbuilds .
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Enova-backed hydrogen bulk carrier programme Riviera Maritime MediaRiviera highlights Enova’s support for a hydrogen-powered dry bulk newbuild programme where HAV Hydrogen’s ZEPOD units (around 400 kW each, upgradable to 1 MW) are intended to supply auxiliary power and help prove hydrogen operations in commercial trade. Coverage: Enova funds hydrogen-powered dry bulk newbuild programme .
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Onshore chargers for battery-hybrid ferries Offshore Energy / Norwegian Electric SystemsOffshore Energy notes that Norled has contracted HAV Group’s energy design and smart control business, Norwegian Electric Systems, to supply three onshore charging stations for battery-hybrid ferries in northern Norway. Article: Norled orders onshore charging stations for battery-hybrid ferries .
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Shoreside charging for autonomous ferries Marine Log / NESMarine Log reports that Norwegian Electric Systems will deliver shoreside charging stations for Fjord1 autonomous ferries, with delivery scheduled for 2026, further underlining HAV Group’s role in ferry electrification. Story: NES to deliver shoreside charging stations for Fjord1 autonomous ferries .
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Fleet ballast water contract with Green Reefers Riviera Maritime Media / Norwegian GreentechRiviera reports that Norwegian Greentech has signed a fleet contract to provide ballast water treatment systems to Green Reefers’ fleet of 19 vessels, positioning HAV Group’s water treatment arm in a multi-ship retrofit campaign. Read more: Green Reefers selects Norwegian Greentech BWMS .
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Complete water treatment system for Nordic Halibut Maritimt / Norwegian GreentechMaritimt covers Norwegian Greentech’s agreement to deliver a complete water treatment system for Nordic Halibut’s new land-based facility, showing the same technology being used in aquaculture as well as shipboard BWMS. Article: Norwegian Greentech to supply complete water treatment system to Nordic Halibut .
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Developing a climate neutral coastal fleet Ships Monthly / Havila VoyagesShips Monthly describes how HAV Group and Havila Voyages are working together to develop a coastal route fleet that aims to be at least climate neutral, with HAV Group’s design and technology stack used as part of the pathway. Coverage: HAV Group and Havila Voyages develop climate neutral fleet .
This is a sample, not a full list. It shows HAV Group’s ecosystem touching hydrogen projects,
ferry electrification, ballast water compliance and climate-focused fleet development.
Hybrid / Hydrogen Savings at a Glance
Move three sliders to see how a hybrid / shore power / hydrogen-style package could shift annual fuel and carbon cost for a typical vessel.
Your vessel profile (per vessel)
Multiply the impact across a small series or fleet (optional).
Assumes an average bunker price of $650/mt and an emission factor of 3.114 tCO₂/mt fuel to convert spend into tonnes and carbon.
Swap these in your own internal model.
Indicative impact (all vessels in scope)
Annual fuel cost saved
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CO₂ avoided per year
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Carbon cost avoided per year
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Total annual decarb benefit
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| Category | Calculated value |
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| Baseline fuel spend (fleet) | $0 |
| Fuel spend saved at chosen % | $0 |
| Estimated fuel saved (mt) | 0 mt |
| Estimated CO₂ avoided (tCO₂) | 0 tCO₂ |
| Value of carbon cost avoided | $0 |
| Total annual benefit (fuel + carbon) | $0 |
Taken together, the HAV Group benefits block, the notable mentions, and this planner let a reader do three things quickly: see what parts of the ship HAV touches, click into real projects where those systems are being used, and then plug in their own fuel, carbon and CAPEX numbers to see whether a hybrid / hydrogen-style package belongs in their next refit or newbuild discussion.
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