IRISH SEA SHIPPING LINES
WWW.EXPORTANDFREIGHT.COM
STENA LINE PREPARES FOR ‘GAME CHANGING’ 2020 ON THE IRISH SEA This is a very important year for Stena Line in Ireland as it prepares the way for the launch of its new Stena Estrid vessel, the first of its new generation E-Flexer ferries currently being built in China. The first vessel will be deployed on Stena Line’s Dublin - Holyhead route in early 2020 and will provide a significant additional 50% freight increase on current capacity.
be larger than today’s standard RoPax vessels at 215 meters long with a freight capacity of 3,100 lane meters and the space to carry 120 cars and 1,000 passengers.
Line is also currently engaged in major upgrade works in Belfast, Liverpool and Holyhead (Salt Island) to ensure the ships operate to their maximum efficiency in port.
The three new E-Flexer vessels currently under construction represent a significant multimillion-pound investment by Stena Line in the Irish Sea region. After the Stena Estrid, sister vessel Stena Edda will be deployed on the Belfast to Liverpool route in spring 2020. The third ship will also be introduced on the Belfast to Liverpool route in 2021.
As market leader on the Irish Sea, Stena Line has consistently led the way in terms of service, sustainability and product innovation and with the continued support of its owners, Belfast has now evolved as one of Stena Line’s most important business hub outside of its native Sweden.
Anticipation
These next generation ships will be the largest, most spacious and most comfortable ferries ever to sail between Belfast and Liverpool. All three vessels will
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The new vessels will provide ‘drive through’ capabilities which will help to improve freight loading and unloading efficiency. In preparation for the arrival of the new vessels on the Irish Sea, Stena
Anna Breen, Stena Line’s Freight Commercial Manager (Irish Sea North), said: “As we move into the second half of the year there’s a real sense of excitement and anticipation across Stena Line on the Irish Sea as we prepare to welcome the first of our new arrivals in early 2020. The fact that three of the current batch of new order vessels are bound for the Irish Sea speaks volumes about the current and indeed future importance of this region to Stena Line’s European business.
“The design and operation of the new vessels have taken significant cognisance of the needs of our freight customers on the Irish Sea and now we are counting down the weeks to welcome the new ships to our local fleet.” Stena Line is the largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, offering the biggest fleet and the widest choice of routes between Britain to Ireland including Belfast to Liverpool and Heysham, Belfast to Cairnryan, Dublin to Holyhead and Rosslare to Fishguard routes, a total of 232 weekly sailing options between Britain and Ireland. Stena Line also offers a direct service from Rosslare to Cherbourg with three return crossings a week.
