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. 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. 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.
Operations The company is one of the largest in the Norwegian transport sector. 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. 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. 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. The 2019 Annual Report records 19.9 Million passengers and 9.9 million vehicles carried.
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).
+ Ferries operated by Fjord1 name year built passenger capacity routeMF Aukra 1978 245 MF Aurland 1977 146 MF Austrått 2018 195 Brekstad - ValsetMF Bergensfjord 2006 589 Mortavika - ArsvågenMF Bjørnsund 1979 245 Festvåg - MistenMF Boknafjord 2011 589 Mortavika - ArsvågenMF Bolsøy 1971 345 Geiranger - HellesyltMF Bømlafjord 2020 145 Buavåg - LangevågMF Dalsfjord 1986 146 MF Davik 2009 196 Askvoll - (Fure) - (Gjervik)MF Driva 1963 146 Arasvika - HennsetMF Dryna 2005 146 Brattvåg - Dryna (until 31-12-2022)MF Edøyfjord 2011 146 reliefMF Eid 1978 146 Sæbø - LeknesMF Eidsfjord 2017 345 Anda - LoteMF Eira 2002 297 reliefMF Eresfjord 2019 295 Sølsnes - ÅfarnesMF Fanafjord 2007 589 laid upMF Fannefjord 2010 390 Drag - Kjøpsvik (from 1-12-2022)MF Fedjebjørn 2019 145 MF Florøy 2020 295 Ranavik - SkjersholmaneMF Geiranger 1979 245 MF Giskøy 2019 394 Hareid - SulesundMF Gloppefjord 2017 345 Anda - LoteMF Glutra 2000 345 Bognes - Skarberget (from 1-12-2022)MF Grip 2020 395 Seivika - TømmervågMF Gulen 1989 295 laid upMF Hadarøy 2018 394 Hareid - SulesundMF Harøy 2006 146 reliefMF Hillefjord 2019 299 Ranavik - SkjersholmaneMF Hjørundfjord 2011 292 reliefMF Horgefjord 2018 295 Hufthamar - KrokeideMF Hornelen 2016 195 Måløy - Husevågøy - OldeideMF Husavik 2018 146 Husavik - SandvikvågMF Ivar Aasen 1997 295 Solholmen - MordalsvågenMF Julsund 2004 295 Jektevik - (Nordhuglo) - HodnanesMF Kommandøren 2018 296 Halhjem - VågeMF Korsfjord 2010 390 Halsa - KanestraumMF Kvernes 1976 147 Festøya - HundeidvikaMF Lifjord 2010 346 laid upMF Losna 2016 196 Rysjedalsvika - (Rutledal) - (Losna) - KrakhellaMF Lote 2006 438 Bognes - Skarberget (from 1-12-2022)MF Lærdal 1997 296 Gjermundshamn - (Varaldsøy) - ÅrsnesMF Mastrafjord 2007 589 Mortavika - ArsvågenMF Moldefjord 2009 390 Halsa - KanestraumMF Møkstrafjord 2018 295 Hufthamar - KrokeideMF Møringen 2020 195 Sandvika - EdøyaMF Norangsfjord 2010 350 Aukra - HollingsholmenMF Nordfjord 2001 146 Askvoll - (Fure) - VærlandetMF Raunefjord 2007 589 Mortavika - Arsvågen (relief)MF Romsdal 1988 73 MF Romsdalsfjord 2010 390 Halsa - KanestraumMF Rovdehorn 2019 394 Sykkylven - MagerholmMF Rødvenfjord 2021 295 Sølsnes - ÅfarnesMF Samlafjord 2019 295 MF Selje 1987 199 Stårheim - IsaneMF Sildafjord 2020 299 Gjermundshamn - (Varaldsøy) - ÅrsnesMF Skopphorn 2019 394 Sykkylven - MagerholmMF Smøla 2020 195 Sandvika - EdøyaMF Sogn 1982 345 reliefMF Sognefjord 1984 443 reliefMF Solnør 1977 146 reliefMF Solskjel 1981 198 laid upMF Stangvikfjord 2020 149 Kvanne - RykkjemMF Stavangerfjord 2007 589 Mortavika - ArsvågenMF Stordal 1979 245 MF Storfjord 2011 292 Leirvåg - SløvågMF Sulafjord 1986 399 reliefMF Suløy 2019 394 Hareid - SulesundMF Sunnfjord 1978 194 MF Svanøy 1992 89 MF Sykkylvsfjord 1975 146 Stranda - LiabygdaMF Tustna 2019 394 Seivika - TømmervågMF Vestrått 2018 195 Brekstad - ValsetMF Veøy 1974 345 Geiranger - HellesyltMF Volda 2002 297 Stranda - LiabygdaMF Vågsøy 2009 147 Molde - SekkenMF Årdal 2008 292 Hatvik - VenjanesetPassenger boatsMS Fjordglytt 2000 81MS Sylvarnes 2000 70MS Tansøy 2007 94
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