Stena Line freight volumes for 2024 reached record levels on its three Belfast services, with almost 600,000 freight units being shipped between Cairnryan, Liverpool (Birkenhead), and Heysham.
Demand for freight services to and from Belfast has been increasing steadily in recent years, with the Belfast-Liverpool (Birkenhead) route in particular growing in popularity with hauliers and three ships serving the route.
The travel business has also had a strong year, with almost 1.7 million passengers and 500,000 cars passing through Belfast.
Later this year, Stena Line will mark 30 years of ferry services from Belfast Harbour, having relocated from Larne in 1995 with one ferry route to Stranraer and has now grown to three routes and seven ships.
Paul Grant, Irish Sea North Trade Director, said, “Today, Belfast is one of the most strategically important business hubs across the Stena Line network. Our Irish Sea business has transformed over the last three decades through a combination of continued investment and the continued support from our customers.”
NewMax ‘Hybrid’ Freight Ferries
As Afloat reported in October, the first of the twin NewMax newbuilds was launched and is to serve the Belfast-Heysham freight route, which, as Stena’s below, is to enter service later this year.
Paul Granted added, “August brings another exciting chapter to the Belfast journey with the introduction of the first of our two NewMax ships on the Heysham service, Stena Futura, which will provide an additional 40% freight capacity on the route when joined by Stena Connecta in early 2026.
“The two NewMax hybrid vessels will play a key role in developing 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 utilize both battery propulsion and shore power when available.”
