Norway Invites Coastal Ferry Route Bids
The Norwegian government is inviting shipping firms to compete for the right to provide a transport service for goods and passengers along the country's coastline, with 34 port calls from Bergen to Kirkenes, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said in a statement on Monday.
The European Surveillance Authority recently approved an overall $600 million subsidy scheme for the ferry route for the years 2012 to 2019
It is currently operated by Hurtigruten, owned by private equity firm TDR Capital, under a deal that expires by the end of 2020
"We've seen substantial interest from potential bidders," the ministry said, without mentioning numbers or names.
Norwegian financial daily Finansavisen recently reported that TDR plans an initial public offering of Hurtigruten
Reporting by Terje Solsvik