Nordic Ferry Infrastructure (NFI) was formed in February 2022 through the combination of the two local ferry and express boat operators, Molslinjen and Torghatten, and expanded with the addition of ForSea in January 2023. Torghatten operates car ferries and smaller passenger ferries along the Norwegian coastline, while Molslinjen links Denmark’s major population centres and connects several islands with the mainland – including connections to Sweden and Denmark. ForSea serves routes between Sweden and Denmark and was one of the first ferry companies to introduce battery operated ferries to cut emissions. 

Today, NFI is the leading pan-Nordic floating bridge operator with a well-diversified portfolio of 70 routes operated by over 100 vessels, transporting over 26 million passengers per year. The company has a strong focus on decarbonising their fleet through electrification and sustainable fuels: the share of its green ferries is expected to rise to 50% by 2030. To fund its ambitious sustainability agenda, NFI is supported by global investment management firm, EQT, which bases its investment decision on its purpose to accelerate the clean energy transition by land, by sea, and by air. 

After detailed discussions with NFI and EQT about the accordion – which will mainly be used to decarbonise NFI’s fleet through electrification and sustainable fuels – NatWest welcomed the opportunity to join the bank-consortium for the debt facility. 

Lennart Piro, Director Project & Infrastructure Finance, NatWest Bank Europe, said: “We’re delighted to support Nordic Ferry Infrastructure with this accordion facility. We’re proud to play a part in their future success and to help accelerate Europe’s sustainability journey by providing funding to build a greener transport system. Our involvement in this transaction is also testament to NatWest Group’s commitment to offer £100 billion of Climate and Sustainable Funding and Financing by the end of 2025.”