In response to growing market demand, Stena Line is planning to upweight its freight capacity on the popular Liverpool – Belfast route. This month (August 2018), Stena Line will initially deploy the 3,000 lane metre STENA FORERUNNER, before replacing it with a similar ship early in 2019 at which point the STENA FORERUNNER will return to service in the North Sea.
Now it is final: Stena Line will move from Varberg to Halmstad at the end of 2019. It revives the memory of the former Lion Ferry operation, acquired by Stena Line in 1985. The reason for the move is that the city of Varberg plans to urbanize the district of Västerport where Stena Line is berthing today.
“We expect the new ferry terminal to be ready for traffic by the end of 2019,” says Björn Alvengrip, CEO HallandsHamnar. HallandsHamnar is the company managing both ports.
Photo: STENA NAUTICA in Varberg, shortly before her departure to Grenaa in Denmark.
Stena Line is creating new capacities for rail transport and project cargo with the new Rostock-Trelleborg timetable.
As Stena Line saw an increase of 3% of ro-ro traffic, with demand for rail transports and project cargo rising, the company decided to have trainferry SASSNITZ operating Rostock-Trelleborg some days per week, as from September. Normally this vessel is serving the Sassnitz-Trelleborg route. (see also under: Ferry Ports)
Positive business development, new staff, effective sustainable initiatives and a more efficient roadmap: Stena Line draws a positive summary of the first half of 2018 at the traditional half-year press conference of Rostock Port GmbH.
In the passenger area, it was very good in the first half of 2018. Stena Line recorded 15% more passengers and 19% more vehicles. Sales rose 18%. The advance bookings for the summer season are also positive.
The freight division of Stena Line is also doing well: in 2017, Stena was able to increase its freight volume by 3%, and the trend continues. In addition to the classic trailer traffic, the demand for conventional rail transports and project loads is increasing.
Photo: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern entering the port of Rostock © Stena Line
One of the two new E-Flexer ferries bound for the Belfast – Liverpool route in 2020 has recently marked an important production milestone by celebrating its official keel-laying at the AVIC shipyard in Weihai, China. The new vessels will have capacity for 1 000 passengers, 120 cars as well as 3 100 freight lane meters.
STENA NORDICA
After summer, Stena Line will re-deploy three ships on three routes. The target is to further improve service and accessibility for customers and optimise operations in line with market developments.
- New(er) tonnage on Göteborg – Frederikshavn: Ro-pax HAMMERODDE to replace ro-ro STENA GOTHICA.
- All traffic to Denmark to use Masthuggskajen in Göteborg.
- In the middle of September, STENA GOTHICA will return to her former route Travemünde-Liepaja where she will operate together with her sister ship URD.
- Four permanent ro-pax vessels on Karlskrona-Gdynia.
- Ro-pax STENA NORDICA will be placed on the Karlskrona-Gdynia route in October, after the charter of ro-ro GUTE is over and the ship returns to Gotlandsbolaget. Growth is still strong between Karlskrona and Gdynia. STENA NORDICA is twice as big as GUTE.
HAMMERODDE
STENA GOTHICA photo: Rickard Sahlsten
Stena Line has confirmed that the first of its new ferries currently under construction in China is planned to enter service on its Holyhead – Dublin route early 2020.
The following two ferries will serve the Liverpool-Belfast route.
Photo: Stena Line
Hitachi Europe Ltd has partnered with Stena Line to implement artificial intelligence technology on ships to reduce fuel consumption costs and become an important tool in the company’s efforts to minimise environmental impact.
Stena Line aims to become the world’s leading cognitive shipping company by 2021.
Stena Line decided to stop the cooperation with TT Line on the route Rostock – Trelleborg. The two companies worked together for two years on this route, under a swap agreement.
TT Line writes on its website that the cooperation will end on September 15.
The question is now who will bring in most capacity on this route. TT Line writes that, “by utilizing its six vessels to and from Rostock, TT-Line will be able to be more responsive to customer needs for quality and capacity.”
Photo: The lengthening of PETER PAN, seen here in Rostock, is still not finished, after some problems occurred during sea trials. She is due to enter service in June. Photo Mike Louagie
Fresh Money For The New Halmstad Ferry Terminal
Stena Line can start to operate its ferry from Halmstad instead of Varberg as from this autumn. The port management committee has approved an additional budget of SEK 126 million to build a new ferry terminal in Halmstad.
Stena Line signed a ten-year agreement for its ferry service to Grenaa in Denmark.
Photo: STENA NAUTICA leaving Varberg. Soon it will be Halmstad instead. © Mike Louagie