By
Alex Smith |
Stena Line has officially taken delivery of its ro-pax ferry, Stena Scandica, after her lengthening and refurbishment at Sedef Shipbuilding in Tuzla, Turkey.
Stena Scandica, formerly called Stena Lagan, is the first of two vessels to be modernised by Stena Line’s sister company Stena RoRo at the shipyard. She will start operating on the route between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Ventspils in Latvia at the beginning of July.
“Taking delivery of the large, modern and efficient vessel Stena Scandica is a major milestone for Stena Line and enables us to continue to grow together with our customers in the Baltic Sea,” said Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line. “During the year we will increase capacity with 30 per cent on the Nynäshamn-Ventspils route, and 40 per cent on the Liepaja-Travemünde route.”
Stena Scandica was extended with a 36-metre mid-section, expanding each vessel to 222 metres in length and increasing capacity to 970 passengers. The ship was also modified with drive-through capabilities on two levels and equipped with hybrid scrubbers, ballast water cleaning systems and a twisted leading-edge rudder with a costa bulb. Interiors and onboard facilities were updated to be in keeping with Stena Line’s current Scandinavian-inspired design. The same works will now be carried out on Stena Baltica (formerly Stena Mersey).
“This enlargement of the vessels’ capacity, as well as the new and unique efficiency measures included in the design, results in a significant reduction of the emissions for each lorry and shorter turnaround time in the port enabling a lower speed at sea,” said Per Westling, managing director of Stena RoRo. “We are pleased that this complex conversion has been possible to perform despite the challenges caused by the pandemic.”
Stena Scandica will now embark on a 10-day journey to the Baltic Sea before she begins service. Stena Baltica will then join her on the same route later this year.