Stena Inks Order for Two Additional E-Flexer Ships
Ship owner Stena said it has decided to exercise its option to order its seventh and eighth E-Flexer vessels from Avic Weihai Shipyard. The two new vessels will be deployed within Stena Line’s route network with a planned delivery in 2022.
Additionally, Stena RoRo has taken an option on the construction of a further four E-Flexer vessels that would also be built at the same Chinese shipyard.
Niclas Mårtensson, CEO Stena Line, said, “We foresee increasing demand for freight capacity in Northern Europe and our new vessels fit very well in matching anticipated market developments as we prepare ourselves for further expansion. At this stage we haven’t decided where within our route network these two vessels will be deployed and are currently evaluating several options.”
Per Westling, MD Stena RoRo, said, “These vessels are the result of good cooperation between Stena RoRo and the AVIC Weihai Shipyard. With their strong design capabilities, Stena Line will be able to optimize its capacity to accommodate the vessels within most parts of its route network.”
As with the previous E-Flexer vessels ordered by Stena, energy efficiency and sustainability will be key design features, the ship owner said. “We want to lead the development of sustainable shipping and set new industry standards when it comes to operational performance, emissions and cost competiveness,” Mårtensson explained.
The two new ships on order will be larger than the three E-Flexer designs currently being built for Stena Line. The first three E-Flexer ships will be 215 meters long with 3,100 lane meters, while the next two ships will measure 240 meters with a freight capacity of 3,600 lane meters.
“We are building on our successful RoPax concept mixing freight and passenger traffic. Through standardization we can secure a reliable operation and by investing in tonnage that is flexible we can provide an even better product that will ultimately support our customers and help them to grow,” Mårtensson said.
A total of eight vessels have now been ordered by Stena from Avic Weihai Shipyard in China. The first one is planned to operate on Holyhead-Dublin and the next two delivered to Stena Line are planned to operate on the Liverpool-Belfast service. Three other vessels will be chartered out to external ferry operators by Stena RoRo.
E-Flexer 7 and 8
Length over all (LOA): 239.7 m
Width: 27.8 m
Draught, max: 6.4 m
Pax capacity: 1,200
No of cabins: 263
Capacity: 3,600 lm