Stena Line’s first new extended E-Flexer ferry has been launched at the CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard in China.
The Ro-Pax vessel, whose name is yet to be revealed, took to the water for the first time on 24 May. The vessel was ordered in 2018 and the delivery is expected in 2022.
The ferry is the fourth out of five next-generation E-Flexer vessels that are are designed and built in collaboration with the sister company Stena RoRo at the CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard.
The name of the new vessel and the locations where it will operate will be announced later this year.
The ferry company said that all five vessels will be gas-ready upon delivery, to allow conversion to methanol or LNG fuel.
The Swedish ferry owner and operator plans to reduce total CO2 emissions by as much as 30% until 2030 as part of its decarbonization strategy. The introduction of more efficient vessels and the exploration of new fuels are key steps in that direction.
”The E-Flexer vessels represent an important part of our sustainable growth journey for the future and we look forward to welcoming two more vessels to our fleet next year. The first three vessels are making waves with our appreciative customers across the Irish Sea and both their flexibility and efficiency has already made them great assets for the company during the pandemic and following Brexit” says Niclas Mårtensson , Managing Director of Stena Line.
”Despite the challenges connected to the pandemic we have been able to deliver our newbuildings in time and thereby enabling Stena Line to perform their fleet renewal program as planned,” says Per Westling , Managing Director of Stena RoRo.
The fourth and the fifth vessel will be 240 meters long with a load capacity of 3,600 length meters, compared to the first three which are 214 meters long and have a load capacity of 3,100 length meters. In total, the larger vessels will have 30 % increased passenger capacity and an additional 15% cargo capacity.
They will also be able to use shore power during port calls to reduce emissions. According to Stena Line, the electricity connection also enables a conversion to battery hybrid in the future.