Swedish ferry company Stena Line has reached another milestone in the build of its NewMax ships by launching Stena Futura into the water in China and laying the keel of the second ship, to be named Stena Connecta.
Stena held a joint ‘launch’ and ‘keel-laying’ ceremony at the China Merchants Jinling shipyard in Weihai, celebrating the release of Stena Futura into the water for the first time, and the laying of the keel for Stena Connecta, which marks the beginning of the build.
Once operational, the two vessels will enhance freight capacity by 40% on the Belfast-Heysham route in response to an increase in customer demand for services between Northern Ireland and Britain.
The two NewMax hybrid vessels will play a key role in Stena Line’s sustainability journey as they will both be able to operate on methanol fuel.
They will also be enhanced with built-in technologies that will be able to utilise both battery propulsion and shore power, when available.
Stena Line is working closely with methanol suppliers, ensuring future volumes of e-methanol and fulfilling their strategic ambition of shifting to renewable fuels and cutting 30% of its Co2 emissions by 2030.
Paul Grant, trade director Irish Sea North for Stena Line, said: “We’re delighted to announce the name of our second new build ship, Stena Connecta. It’s exciting to see the progress being made on our new ships for the Belfast-Heysham route, which as Connecta’s name suggests, provides a vital connection across the Irish Sea for our customers.
“We’re continuing to see growth on this route and demand from freight customers, therefore we’re certain that the boost in capacity will be welcomed by the market locally.
“Sustainability remains a focus for Stena Line across our business and this is a significant step forward for our fleet as we work to future-proof our business. We’re looking forward to welcoming Stena Futura to the Irish Sea in autumn 2025.”
Joe O’Neill, chief executive of Belfast Harbour, added: “Stena Line is one of Belfast Harbour’s most important strategic partners and we welcome the company’s latest significant investment in the key Belfast to Heysham route.
“It’s fantastic to see Stena Line not only respond to increased customer demand by investing in new vessels that will substantially increase freight capacity, but also to see them do so in a way that further improves the sustainability of its fleet.”