By
Rebecca Gibson |
European ferry operator Stena RoRo has ordered a new LNG-powered ro-pax ferry, which will be chartered to French shipping company Brittany Ferries for 10 years following delivery in autumn 2021.
The 1,000-guest vessel will be the sixth in the Stena E-Flexer RoPax class, but will be the first to operate using LNG fuel. Brittany Ferries will use this newbuild alongside another of Stena’s E-Flexer vessels that was ordered last winter, to on its routes between Portsmouth, UK and Bilbao and Santander in Spain.
All six of the Stena E-Flexer RoRo class ferries will be built by Chinese shipyard AVIC International. Three of the remaining vessels will be operated by Stena Line on the Irish Sea, and Danish shipping operator DFDS has signed a 10-year charter for one of the newbuilds, which will provide a ro-pax service on the English Channel. Stena RoRo has a further two options with the shipyard.
“These ships have been designed to satisfy our customers’ demanding standards with respect to both operational efficiency and the environment,” said Per Westling, managing director at Stena RoRo. “The Stena E-Flexer class is designed to offer the highest possible flexibility as regards future fuels and Brittany Ferries has chosen LNG operation for this ship.”