81 made a significant contribution to the development of Stena Line’s Irish Sea business. Stena Estrid was introduced on the Dublin to Holyhead service in 2020. The subsequent introduction of Stena Edda and Stena Embla – which are the biggest ships ever to operate on the Belfast to Liverpool service – has significantly increased capacity for freight and travel customers and also raised service standards. “Stena Estrid is predominantly a day ferry, whilst Stena Edda and Stena Embla are busiest on overnight voyages,” says Grant. “Stena Edda and Stena Embla are two of Belfast and Liverpool’s busiest hotels, with the 175 cabins on each ship being full almost every night. In 2024, Stena Line shipped record freight volumes on its Belfast routes, including Birkenhead (Liverpool). The E-Flexers have played a significant role in helping us to achieve this operational milestone.” Stena Line’s recent launch of its Dublin to Liverpool freight route further cements the company’s commitment to providing efficient and reliable transport solutions across the Irish Sea. “Once it became clear that there was a potential opportunity for Stena Line to bid for the Dublin to Liverpool service, we moved at pace to submit our proposal and were successful,” explains Grant. “As a company, we were aware of the potential future development of the route with our previous positive experiences on our expanding Belfast to Liverpool service and so it has proved. We have performed extremely well to date and will continue to assess the future development opportunities with our customers and other stakeholders.” This is just the start of things to come. In response to an increase in customer demand for services between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, Stena Line will soon introduce two new hybrid ships – Stena Connecta and Stena Futura – that will enhance freight capacity by 40 per cent on the Belfast to Heysham route. With the ability to operate on methanol fuel, these two NewMax vessels will play a key role in Stena Line’s sustainability journey. “They’re a step forward in fulfilling our strategic ambition of shifting to renewable fuels and cutting 30 per cent of our carbon dioxide emissions by 2030,” says Grant. Overall, Stena Line has set a high bar in terms of its fleet, ports, service and onboard experience. “Our major focus now will be to keep the company at the forefront of innovation and great customer service, as you would expect from the leading ferry company on the Irish Sea,” concludes Grant. The midship Sky Bar on Stena Estrid has seating for 170 people and has a large central atrium
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