Stena Line Lays Keel for New RoPax Ship

China’s shipbuilder AVIC Weihai Shipyard has held a keel-laying ceremony for a new RoPax vessel being built for Swedish ferry company Stena Line.

The traditional maritime event, which took place on February 2, 2018, marks the start of the construction phase of the hull and the exterior parts of the vessel.

“This is an important milestone in our exciting new ship building project,” Niclas Mårtensson, CEO Stena Line, said.

Stena Line’s new RoPax vessels will be deployed on the Irish Sea. The new vessels, which will be 50% bigger than today’s standard RoPax units, have a planned delivery timetable during 2019 and 2020.

“Our overall target is that these vessels will be the absolute state-of-the-art when it comes to energy efficiency, flexibility and customer service. In particular, we are placing heavy emphasis on developing a range of exciting new digital features which will provide our customers with unique additional services connected with their journey as well as developing a new, integrated digital onboard experience,” Mårtensson added.

Featuring a length of 214.5 meters and a breadth of 27.8 meters, the new ships are capable of carrying 1,000 passengers.

Image Courtesy: Stena Line