Swedish supplier of roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels and services, Stena RoRo, has completed the reconstruction of Stena Line’s 2002-built vessel to increase its capacity and enhance efficiency for reduced CO2 emissions.
Stena RoRo, on behalf of Stena Line, signed a conversion contract with China Merchants Jinling (Weihai) Shipyard for the installation of an additional cargo deck, increased thruster capacity, and preparations for shore power onboard two ferries, Stena Foreteller and Stena Forerunner, in 2024.
The “major” conversion work on the Stena Foreteller has now been completed, and the vessel is set to return to service on the Europoort/Rotterdam – Immingham route at the end of July, Stena Line revealed on July 3.
As part of the rebuild and renovation, the ship has been fitted with a fourth vehicle deck as well as a shore power connection system, which will reduce CO2 emissions while in port.
Due to the additional deck, the wind-exposed area has increased, placing greater demands on the vessel’s maneuverability and mooring. As a result, the bow thrusters have been upgraded for increased capacity, and additional mooring winches have been installed, Stena RoRo reported.
Stena Foreteller’s sister ship, Stena Forerunner, will undergo the same rebuild starting at the end of the summer.
“The rebuild of the Stena Foreteller is another step among many we are taking to reach our goal of reducing our CO₂ emissions by 30 percent by 2030. We are working on many fronts, where the improvement of existing vessels and the development of new ones are equally important,” said Dennis Tetzlaff , Chief Operating Officer Fleet at Stena Line.
In the meantime, CMI Jinling shipyard is on track to complete two new NewMax vessels for Stena Line – Stena Futura and Stena Connecta. The newbuilds are scheduled for delivery in the fall and will operate the Belfast – Heysham route in the Irish Sea.
The two hybrid vessels are part of Stena Line’s efforts to reduce emissions, as both will be able to run on methanol fuel. They are also equipped with technology that supports both battery propulsion and shore power connection.