On Friday, 2 February, the official keel-laying ceremony was held at Avic Weihai Shipyard in China.
This traditional ceremony marks the start of the construction of the hull and the exterior parts of the ship.
– This is an important milestone in our exciting new build project, says Stena Line CEO Niclas Mårtensson, who participated in the traditional coin ceremony where 4 coins (GBP, EUR, SEK and RMB) were placed under the keel as a symbol to bring good luck and prosperity at sea.
The new RoPax vessels have a scheduled delivery in 2019 and 2020. They will be approximately 50 percent larger than the standard of today's RoPax ferries. The investment is proof that Stena Line is building on its successful business model with a combination of freight and passengers.
– Our goal is for these vessels to be at the absolute forefront in terms of energy efficiency, flexibility, and customer experience. Above all, we place great emphasis on developing a range of exciting digital solutions that will provide our customers with new onboard experiences. This is part of our digitalisation efforts, which will take us into the future and provide our customers with new and unique services and experiences, says Niclas Mårtensson.
The new RoPax ferries are planned to operate on the Irish Sea and represent a strategic investment to continue strengthening Stena Line's operations in the region.
