By
Alex Smith |
Stena Line’s new extended E-Flexer ferry has been floated out at CMI Jinling Weihai Shipyard in Weihai, China.
The new vessel was ordered in 2018 and is the fourth of five E-Flexer ferries designed and built by Stena Line in collaboration with sister company Stena RoRo. The fourth and fifth vessel in the series will be 240 metres long with a load capacity of 2,600 lane metres, with 50 per cent more cabins and beds, 30 per cent increased passenger capacity and an additional 15 per cent cargo capacity compared to the first three ships.
“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,” said Niclas Mårtensson, managing director of Stena Line. “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.”
The E-Flexer ferries are up to 30 per cent more energy efficient than existing vessels in the fleet, and can be converted for operation on methanol or LNG fuel. The two longer vessels will be equipped to use shore power during port calls, which also allows for them to be converted to battery hybrid operation in the future.