Stena RoRo’s ferry outfitted with hybrid scrubbers

Stena RoRo has converted the former Stena Superfast X day ferry into a night ferry, boosting the ship’s capacity and outfitting it with hybrid scrubbers.

Hybrid systems have the flexibility to operate in both open and closed-loop mode. Enabling ships to switch to closed-loop operations in areas where the release of scrubber washwater has been banned is particularly important for this type of exhaust gas cleaning systems.

The conversion carried out in Piraeus, Greece, in just under three months, has seen the number of passenger cabins on board increased from 45 to 176, of which 94 are newly built and 33 former crew cabins converted to passenger cabins.

The ship was “parked” at a dock with a piece of land to which subcontractors have access. All work has been coordinated by a local firm. A floating dock was used as necessary. 

The ship, built in 2002, has been renamed A Nepita and it is designated to operate on the Marseille – Corsica – North Africa route, operating for the French shipping company Corsica Linea.

“This is a known and appreciated concept in the Mediterranean and not least in Pireaus, which entails extensive freedom in planning and execution,” says Stena RoRo’s site manager Claes Tisell at the shipyard in Greece.

“The process has moved extremely fast and collaboration with affected suppliers has gone smoothly.

  “Despite major difficulties related to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, with shipyard workers and subcontractors, among others, forced to quarantine, we have managed to keep the timetable.” 

“The conversion has gone extremely fast and we’re very happy with the results,” says Niklas Andersson, general manager for Operations at Stena RoRo.

“The Mediterranean is a familiar market for us, but in this case we have a new customer, which makes it especially nice. This type of assignment – taking a customer’s wishes and realizing them with rapid execution – is what we’re best at.”