Swedish ferry company Stena Line has officially taken delivery of its newest RoPax ferry, Stena Scandica, on Friday 18th June, according to the company's release. The vessel is the first of two Visentini vessels that are being lengthened and modernised by Stena RoRo at the Sedef Shipbuilding in Tuzla, Turkey. Stena Scandica will start operating on Stena Lines route between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Ventspils in Latvia in the beginning of July.
Stena Line is well underway in modernising its large European fleet of ferries and has not let the ongoing pandemic affect these ambitious plans. On Friday 18th June Stena Line officially took delivery of its newest RoPax ferry, Stena Scandica, following a handover ceremony at the Sedef Shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey.
Stena Line CEO Niclas Mårtensson said the delivery of Stena Scandica is an important step in the Company’s expansion in the Baltic Sea.
The ground-breaking conversion and lengthening of Stena Scandica (ex Stena Lagan) and sister vessel Stena Baltica (ex Stena Mersey) are managed by Stena RoRo at the Sedef Shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey.
The two vessels are lengthened with a 36 metre mid-section; after the conversion they are 222 metres long and have a capacity of 970 passengers, 202 cabins and 2,875 freight lane meters. To increase the loading efficiency, the vessels are modified with drive through capabilities on two levels. The interior and onboard facilities are updated to Stena Line’s familiar Scandinavian, light, and spacious design. The vessels are fitted with several sustainable features and fuel efficiency improvements, such as hybrid scrubbers, ballast water cleaning systems, twisted leading edge rudder with costa bulb.
Stena Scandica will now embark on a 10-day journey to her new home in the Baltic Sea where she will begin service in the beginning of July on the route between Ventspils in Latvia and Nynäshamn in Sweden. Later this year, sister vessel Stena Baltica will join Stena Scandica, and with both vessels in place, the total capacity increase on the route is 30 %.
As part of the ongoing expansion in the Baltic Sea, Stena Line will relocate the two vessels currently sailing on Nynäshamn-Ventspils, Stena Livia and Stena Flavia, to the route between Liepaja in Latvia to Travemünde in Germany. The vessels will increase the freight capacity on the route by 40 % and shorten the crossing time from 27 to 20 hours. This will enable a reliable transport service with a fixed timetable with 12 weekly departures, six in each direction. The new vessels will also offer improved onboard facilities and increase the number of cabins, making the route an attractive choice for transport and travel between the Baltic countries and Germany.
Stena Line is one of Europe's leading ferry companies with 37 vessels and 17 routes in Northern Europe operating 25,000 sailings each year. Stena Line is an important part of the European logistics network and develops new intermodal freight solutions by combining transport by rail, road and sea. Stena Line also plays an important role for tourism in Europe with its extensive passenger operations. The company is family-owned, was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Gothenburg. Stena Line has 4,300 employees and an annual turnover of 14 billion SEK.