Connecting two coastal regions

Norways future is value-generation connected to sustainable use of the oceans resources.

Here the coast of Nordmøre and Trøndelag already has a solid position, with many opportunities to be world-leading.

This requires an increase in attractiveness and lessened vulnerability as residential and economic region.

New ferry connections between Aure and Hitra would in light of this be a reasonable, but decisive contribution to achieving something that the entire region, and nation, would benefit from.

Ferry Aure-Hitra

The new connection between Aure and Hitra will run right across Trondheimsleia between Kjørsvikbugen in Aure and Laksåvika on Hitra.
The crossing time will be between 20 and 25 minutes.
The ferry will connect FV680 in Møre og Romsdal and FV713 in Sør-Trøndelag.

The new ferry between Aure and Hitra will reduce the travel-distance by 120km and reduce travel times by around 60 minutes between the communes Aure and Hitra. The same goes for Kristiansund and Hitra. We base these numbers on the current logistics routes along E39.

Both in Kjørsviksbugen(Aure) and Laksåvika(Hitra) exists approved regulatory plans for construction of ferry piers and connecting roads.

Hitra Sea port, Sandstad

Strengthening the economic competitiveness

There is wide consensus amongst businesses in the region that a new ferry connection between Aure and Hitra is an important initiative to strengthen the economic competitiveness for the future.

This is well illustrated by Marine Harvest’s following comment: “Marine Harvest has, as is perhaps known, significant activity in the communes Hitra, Frøya, Snillfjord, Smøla, Aure and Averøya. All together our yearly production of around 70 000 tons of salmon employs roughly 320 people in this area. Even if transport of fish and fodder usually arrives by ship, both we and our suppliers have significant logistical needs in order to move personell and equipment between Hitra and Nordmøre.”

There was in total transported 205 000 tons of processed salmon from Hitra and Frøya in 2015. This is the equivalent value of about 10 billion NOK. Indirectly related activities create significant additional values.

Socio-economically profitable

Møreforsking has in 2016 performed an update to their original report from 2007 on traffic and socio-economic consequences for the ferry connection between Aure and Hitra.

Summary Møreforsking Molde AS:

  • Traffic-calculations give a moderate traffic-volume of 110 to 140 cars per day
  • Traffic income in the ferry-connection is estimated to 6,5 million NOK
  • The injection requirement is estimated to roughly 20 million NOK if a traditional diesel-powered ferry is used and about 11 million NOK if an electric ferry is used.
  • The benefits to transport is estimated at 14,6 million NOK. This is distributed by 6,5 million NOK for light vehicles and 8,1 million NOK for heavy vehicles.
  • The increase in benefits to transport is mainly derived from savings in travel time and distance.
  • This is the second time Møreforskning Molde performs a socio-economic review of this project, and we are of the opinion that the estimates are conservative. The results indicate strong socio-economic benefits and the analysis is regarded as robust.

Glutra: The worlds first LNG-ferry, operational since 2000.

It also operated for several years in the connection between Seivika-Tømmervåg, Nordmøre.

LNG was delivered from Tjeldbergodden, Aure.

Now operating in the connection between Flakk and Rørvik, Trøndelag.

Very suitable as development project

Already in 2011 a study on the establishment of a battery-powered ferry connection was performed. This study was funded by Enova(previously Transnova), and performed in cooperation with leading actors in the maritime cluster at Sunnmøre. The study showed that the ferry project was very well suited for a battery powered ferry.

Startup of a new ferry connection, such as between Aure and Hitra, gives increased manoeuvring space for testing of new solutions for future ferry operations. This can be new technology for low to zero-emissions ferries and new cost-effective ways to build and operate a ferry connection.

Midt-Norsk Fergeallianse AS (Minofas)

Minofas is owned by the communes Aure, Smøla, Kristiansund, Hitra, Frøya, Hemne and Kristiansund and Nordmøre Havn IKS. The company has as purpose to establish the ferry connection between Aure and Hitra.

Through a joint company, the communes wish to be the driving force in the work towards strengthening the coastal regions attractiveness within business and residential development through sectors such as maritime, energy and tourism.