Canadian ferry operator Marine Atlantic has entered into a five-year charter agreement on a newbuild ro-pax vessel of the Stena E-Flexer type, writes David Tinsley.
The 203m vessel will be the 10th in the E-Flexer series and will be of a design adapted to the requirements of year-round service across the Cabot Strait between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The ship will be certificated to carry 1,100 passengers and crew, and the ro-ro intake capacity will equate to 2,571 lane-metres, including 476 lane-metres of dedicated space for cars.
Besides the requisite ice-strengthening, the specification in the version for eastern Canada deployment will offer what is described as “enhanced power and thruster capability for maximum manoeuvring ability during docking and undocking”.
The central feature of the ferry’s ‘green’ technology credentials will be the LNG dual-fuel propulsion system, supplemented by a battery pack as an emissions-free power source, potentially for manoeuvring in port. Furthermore, the prospective operator has stipulated measures to reduce underwater radiated noise, so as to reduce the impact on marine life in coastal waters. The newbuild will be compatible for use on either of the routes connecting North Sydney (Nova Scotia) to Newfoundland, namely Port-aux-Basques in the south or Argentia in the east.
Marine Atlantic is a Canadian government-owned corporation tasked with the constitutional mandate of providing freight and passenger services between the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and that of Nova Scotia. Four companies had been selected in the initial phase of bidding for the new vessel in July 2019, and the final shortlist had seen Stena North Sea pitted against Rederi AB Gotland.
The newbuild charter project reinforces a longstanding business relationship between Stena and Marine Atlantic. Under a previous transaction, two 200m sisters were acquired from the Swedish group 11 years ago, and today form part of the Canadian company’s existing fleet, as the Blue Puttees and Highlanders, formerly the Stena Trader and Stena Traveller, respectively.
Hard on the heels of the latest Canadian agreement, Stena RoRo has extended its E-Flexer programme in China to 12 ships following the conclusion of long-term charter arrangements with Brittany Ferries. The two further newbuilds are to be introduced to English Channel services during 2024 and 2025. These 195m 11th and 12th E-Flexers will have LNG dual-fuel medium-speed main machinery, and will be allocated to the French company’s routes out of Portsmouth to Ouistreham (Caen) and St Malo, respectively.
Brittany Ferries is already committed to three E-Flexers. The MaK diesel-powered Galicia was delivered in the autumn of 2020, while the second and third vessels, both incorporating MaK dual-fuel medium-speed power and a large battery package, are scheduled for handover in November 2021 and 2023.
While the latest-ordered pair will be of common main dimensions, including a length of approximately 195m and breadth of 27.8m, and will each accommodate 1,400 passengers and crew, one of the ferries will have a freight intake corresponding to 2,377 lane-metres and the other will be of 2,517 lane-metres.
Chinese shipbuilding now dominates the global ro-pax construction market.
E-FLEXER ro-pax programme
Vessel | Delivery | Freight capacity, lane-m | Operator |
1. Stena Estrid | 2020 | 3,100 | Stena Line |
2. Stena Edda | 2020 | 3,100 | Stena Line |
3. Galicia | 2020 | 3,032 | Brittany Ferries |
4. Stena Embla | 2021 | 3,100 | Stena Line |
5. Cote d’Opale | 2021 | 3,100 | DFDS |
6. Salamanca | 2022 (LNG dual-fuel) | 2,700 | Brittany Ferries |
7. Stena TBN | 2022 (extended version) | 3,600 | Stena Line |
8. Stena TBN | 2022 (extended version) | 3,600 | Stena Line |
9. Santona | 2023 (LNG dual-fuel) | 2,700 | Brittany Ferries |
10. TBN | 2024 (LNG dual-fuel) | 2,571 | Marine Atlantic |
11. TBN | 2024 (LNG dual-fuel) | 2,377 | Brittany Ferries |
12. TBN | 2025 (LNG dual-fuel) | 2,517 | Brittany Ferries |
