Chinese yard is expected to deliver the ferries to the European operator in 2019 and 2020
By
Rebecca Gibson |
AVIC Shipyard in China is to build four new ropax ferries for European operator Stena Line.
Expected to be delivered in 2019 and 2020, the four newbuilds will accommodate around 1,000 guests and offer a full range of passenger services, as well as more than 3,000 lane metres for vehicles. The ferries will be powered by gas-ready engines, which can be fuelled by either methanol or LNG.
All four ferries are intended to operate in Northern Europe.
“During the course of the past 24 months our engineering staff has managed to develop a design that is not only 50% larger than today’s standard ropax vessels, but more importantly, incorporates the emission reduction and efficiency initiatives that have been developed throughout the Stena Group during the past years,” said Carl-Johan Hagman, managing director of Stena Line. “These ships will be the most fuel efficient ferries in the world and will set a new industry standard when it comes to operational performance, emissions and cost competitiveness, positioning Stena Line to support its customers in the next decades.”
Stena Line also has the option for another four vessels.