Stena Line has reached another milestone as the first of two ‘NewMax’ vessels for the Belfast-Heysham route was launched into the water while the other involved a keel-laid ceremony at the same Asian shipyard.
The joint ‘launch’ and ‘keel-laying’ ceremony last week took place at the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, Weihai, which celebrated the release of Stena Futura into the water for the first time. In addition to the laying of the keel for Stena Connecta, which marks the beginning of the second newbuild.
Once operational, the two NewManx freight-ferries will enhance capacity by 40% on the Belfast-Heysham route in response to an increase in customer demand for services between Northern Ireland and Britain.
Currently the Irish Sea route Afloat adds is operated by twins built in East Asia, where the Stena Hibernia along with its partner Stena Scotia came from the Miho Shipyard, Shimizu in Japan. They were constructed for previous owners and launched in 1996.
As for the NewMax hybrid vessels, they will play a key role in Stena Line’s sustainability journey as they will both be able to operate on methanol fuel. They will also be enhanced with built in technologies that will be able to utilise both battery propulsion and shore power, when available. Stena Line is working closely with methanol suppliers, ensuring future volumes of e-methanol and fulfilling their strategic ambition of shifting to renewable fuels and cutting 30% of its CO2 emissions by 2030.
Paul Grant, Trade Director Irish Sea North, Stena Line said: “We’re delighted to announce the name of our second new build ship, Stena Connecta. It is exciting to see the progress being made on our new ships for the Belfast – Heysham route, which as Connecta’s name suggests, provides a vital connection across the Irish Sea for our customers. We’re continuing to see growth on this route and demand from freight customers, therefore we’re certain that the boost in capacity will be welcomed by the market locally.
“Sustainability remains a focus for Stena Line across our business and this is a significant step forward for our fleet as we work to futureproof our business. We’re looking forward to welcoming Stena Futura to the Irish Sea in Autumn 2025.”
Joe O’Neill, CEO of Belfast Harbour said: “Stena Line is one of Belfast Harbour’s most important strategic partners and we welcome the company’s latest significant investment in the key Belfast – Heysham route. It is fantastic to see Stena Line not only respond to increased customer demand by investing in new vessels that will substantially increase freight capacity, but also to see them do so in a way that further improves the sustainability of its fleet.
“As a Trust Port, sustainability is a top priority for Belfast Harbour. Our ambition is to be the first port in the UK and Ireland to reach net zero in our own operations, while also finding effective new ways to work with our partners to tackle emissions in our wider supply chain.”
