By
Sean Dudley |
Update: New Blue Ocean began its service on the route between Sokcho in South Korea and the ports of Zarubino and Vladivostok in Russia on 19 March. Hans Nilsson, CEO of Stena International Freight, said: “It is exciting to see the new service on the new route starting. It’s a new market for us but one in which we have a great deal of confidence.”
Stena International Freight has announced it will start its first ferry route in Asia.
The route, operated by the ropax ferry New Blue Ocean, will run between Sokcho, South Korea and the two ports of Zarubino and Vladivostok in Russia.
The RoPax ferry M/V New Blue Ocean can carry 1,400 metres of trucks, trailers and containers, as well as 750 passengers.
“Our ambition is to expand into Asia and the new route is a very important step in these plans,” said Hans Nilsson, CEO, Stena International Freight. “There is strong demand for a high quality route with freight and passenger transports between Korea and Russia.”
Stena is confident that the concept applied to their routes in the Baltic will be successful in the new venture, with a combination of both freight and passenger business.
“Even on the passenger side there is demand for travel between Korea and China and, here, it is above all the port in Zarubino that is strategically important,” said Nilsson.
“We reckon we will have about 100,000 passengers a year."
The operations will use the name Stena Daea Line and will be based in Sokcho and Seoul, South Korea.