New ferry Stena Estrid on route from China

Stena Line has officially taken ownership of its newest ferry, Stena Estrid, following a handover ceremony at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in north-western China. Stena Estrid is the first of five next generation Stena Line RoPax vessels that are currently being constructed. Stena Estrid will now embark on a six-week journey to its new home on the Irish Sea, where it will begin service on the Dublin to Holyhead route in January 2020.

A further two of the new ferries are also destined for the Irish Sea with Stena Edda expected to commence operations from Belfast to Liverpool next spring, and a third vessel Stena Embla to be introduced on the same route in early 2021.

“Today has been six years in the planning,” says Bjarne Koitrand, Stena Line’s Technical Operations Director, “and we are delighted to finally take ownership of the first of our five new ships. With the new crew now in place, they can start the long journey to the Irish Sea, where Stena Estrid will make her new home serving customers between Dublin and Holyhead.”

“Taking ownership of Stena Estrid is a major milestone for Stena Line,” says Stena Line CEO, Niclas Mårtensson, “and is the result of a very significant investment in our Irish Sea operations that reflects our commitment to the region and will ultimately see three of the world’s most modern ferries operating between Ireland and Britain.”

At 215 metres in length, Stena Estrid (meaning divinely beautiful) will provide freight capacity of 3,100 lane metres, meaning a 50 per cent increase in freight tonnage, and the space to carry 120 cars and 1,000 passengers and crew.

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