Belfast, Northern Ireland: Stena Line’s Stena Embla, the last of its three new ferries for the Irish Sea, has completed sea trials in China.
Niclas Mårtensson, chief executive, Stena, said that the introduction of Stena Embla and sister ships Stena Estrid and Stena Edda, reflected the company’s commitment to the Irish Sea.
“The Irish Sea is very important to Stena Line’s global business and represents a significant part of our overall revenue,” Mårtensson said
“We strongly believe that our ferry business on the Irish Sea will continue to grow. It remains a key region for the company, as evidenced by our continued investment and the addition of three new vessels. This is underscoring Stena Line’s commitment to our Irish Sea operations and our determination to deliver the best possible freight and travel experience to our customers.”
The new ferries are 25% more fuel-efficient than existing vessels and at 215 metres larger than today’s standard RoPax vessels, providing 30% more freight capacity with 3,100 lane meters.
They also have the space to carry 120 cars and 1,000 passengers and crew. The ability to load two vehicle decks simultaneously reduces loading and unloading times, resulting in quicker turnaround times in ports.
The interior design meets Covid-19 requirements for social distancing.
The new vessel replaces the Stena Mersey, which has operated on the Belfast to Birkenhead route for 10 years. The Mersey will join sister ship Stena Lagan in Turkey where both ships are being extended, before re-deployment on the Baltic Sea.
