Stena RoRo orders new LNG ferry, signs 10-year charter

Göteborg-based Stena RoRo placed an order for a new LNG-fueled RoPax class ferry with the Chinese shipyard AVIC International and signed a 10-year charter deal with Brittany Ferries.

The vessel, sixth in the so-called Stena E-Flexer RoPax class is set for delivery in autumn of 2021, with the company securing options for two additional vessels.

The newly ordered ferry, together with a further vessel in the E-Flexer series ordered last winter, will supplement Brittany Ferries’ fleet operating between Portsmouth in the UK and Bilbao and Santander in Spain.

The new ferries will have a capacity of 3,100 lane meters and will accommodate up to 1,000 passengers, Stena RoRo said in a statement.

In 2016, Stena RoRo placed an order for four large RoPax vessels with the Chinese shipyard AVIC International with an option on a further four vessels, however, unlike these vessels, the newly ordered vessel will be built for LNG operation.

Recently, a 10-year charter contract for a vessel planned for service in the English Channel was signed with the Danish shipping company DFDS. The other three vessels will be operated by Stena Line on the Irish Sea.