New Delhi, May 10, 2023: The company said that the construction of the NewMax vessels will begin shortly with the launch of operations on the Irish Sea expected in 2025. China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China has been entrusted with the construction process through Stena RoRo and both ships.
The ships are intended for the Belfast-Heysham route and add 80% capacity as the company responds to increasing customer demand for capacity and sustainability performance. The ships will be operating from Stena Line’s port in Belfast.
Each of the two new 147-meter vessels has been designed to maximise freight volumes and will provide 2,800 lane meters of capacity which is an 80% increase on current ship capacities. The new vessels will be equipped to carry 12 passengers and 26 crew.
Stena Line added it was currently working closely with the supply chain of methanol and has secured future volumes of e-methanol to fulfill its strategic ambition of shifting to renewable fuels and cutting 30% of its CO2 emissions by 2030. The company is already operating a ferry on methanol, the Stena Germanica, which was converted back in 2015.