Stena Line to Deploy Dublin-Birkenhead Freight Ro-Ro’s to North Sea UK-Dutch Service

10th October 2026

Jehan Ashmore

In Dublin Bay Stena Hibernia (currently at H&W shipyard, Belfast) and twin Stena Scotia, serves the capital and Birkenhead, are to be redeployed to North Sea service to enable the company to replace chartered tonnage. Both freight ferries, Afloat notes, originally operated in this region for NorfolkLine (Maersk) and also between the UK and the Netherlands, are to be repeated, albeit through other ports. Credit: Jehan Ashmore

Stena Line is to deploy two Irish Sea-based freight ferries from its Dublin Port-Birkenhead (Liverpool) route to the North Sea service of Harwich-Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The Stena Hibernia and twin Stena Scotia, which Afloat reported only entered service as the second ship in January, having served Belfast-Heysham due to introduced newbuilds, are to replace chartered tonnage in the form of Thuleland and Mistral. The latter vessel, P&O, was also chartered in before its Dublin-Liverpool link closed in 2023.

Thuleland and Mistral will be returned to their respective Swedish owners, Godby Shipping and Wallenius SOL (see separate Smurfit Westrock deal), at the end of this year when their charter agreements expire.

This development was reported by the Dutch media outlet Transport Online.

According to Gothenburg-based Stena Line, deploying its own vessels will increase operational flexibility across its network and reinforce its long-term commitment to the freight corridor between the UK and continental Europe.

More from Shippax news on the changing freight scene.

Published in Stena Line

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About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals.

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