Stena Line has reported a record year for freight volumes on its Belfast services.
The Swedish ferry operator said approximately 587,000 units were transported in and out of Belfast Harbour on its three routes during 2023.
Stena Line, which moved into Belfast Harbour during 1995, currently operates seven ships on its daily services to Cairnryan, Liverpool and Heysham.
The announcement came as a new specially commissioned portrait was unveiled at the Belfast Harbour Commissioner’s Office in honour of Stena Line’s billionaire owner and chairman, Dan Sten Olsson.
The new artwork, produced by Ken Hamilton, was commissioned by Belfast Harbour to acknowledge the contribution the Swedish ferry operator has made to the port and region over the last three decades.
Speaking in Belfast, Dan Sten Olsson said: “Over the years, Stena Line has developed a strong relationship and affinity with Belfast and the local community.
“Personally, I did my first business in Belfast over 50 years ago and have been committed to Northern Ireland ever since.
“Northern Ireland is a strategically important region for Stena Line and our solid partnership with Belfast Harbour has been instrumental in our construction of one of our largest passenger and freight hubs in our European network.
“We look forward to what the future brings for the routes and to working with the harbour to continuously improve our services for our customers.”
Two new hybrid ‘NewMax’ RoRo vessels are due to come into service on the Belfast to Heysham route in 2025, which is expected to boost capacity by 80%.
