The Swedish ferry company will introduce two new yet-to-be-named E-Flexers across the Norvik-Ventspils service while on the Gdynia-Karlskrona - the recently jumboised Stena Scandica and Stena Baltica.

The 240 m-long E-Flexers will have room for 1,200 passengers and 3,600 lane metres of cargo capacity, increasing, according to Stena Line, the route's capacities by 33% and 25%, respectively.

The company also said in a press release that the "E-Flexer ferries are up to 30% more energy efficient than existing vessels, thanks to optimum design of the hulls, propellers, bulbs, and rudders."

The brand-new vessels will be gas-ready, allowing for conversion to methanol or liquefied natural gas. They will also be equipped to use shore power, meaning that battery hybridisation will be an option, too.

In the summer of 2022, the 222 m-long and 970 pax/2,875 lm-big Stena Scandica (ex-Stena Lagan) will start sailing between Gdynia and Karlskrona. Her sister ship, Stena Baltica (ex-Stena Mersey), will join her in six months. As a result, the route’s cargo capacity is said to increase by 30%.

Earlier, as of next year's beginning, Stena Line will move its Gdynia operations to the new Public Ferry Terminal.

In Karlskrona, where Stena Line jointly owns the port with the local municipality, new ramps and a bigger truck & trailer handling area will be put in place to accommodate the new ships.

"We continue growing together with our customers by strengthening our position and fleet across the Baltic Sea. Demand for capacity in the region keeps increasing as freight customers continue to expand and travel passengers choose ferry travel as their preferred safe form of transport in the wake of the pandemic. These large, modern, and fuel-efficient next generation ferries are the flag ships in the modernisation of our fleet as well as our development of sustainable shipping," Niclas Mårtensson, Stena Line Group's CEO, commented.

Photo: Stena Line