Stena Estrid successfully completes sea trials
Stena Line has announced that Stena Estrid, the first of five vessels being built for the leading ferry company in China, has successfully completed her sea trials in China’s Yellow Sea, the company said in its release. Following three days of extensive testing, the new vessel performed excellently across a wide range of stringent test criteria and is now on schedule to start operating on the Dublin to Holyhead route in early 2020.
Stena Estrid is the first of five new Stena Line next generation RoPax vessels that are being constructed at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in China, three of which will be introduced on the company’s Irish Sea routes from Dublin to Holyhead and Belfast to Liverpool. Sister ship Stena Edda is due to commence operations from Belfast to Liverpool in spring 2020, with the third vessel Stena Embla expected to be introduced on the same route in early 2021.
The sea trials are designed to ensure that all systems are fully operational and in line with strict specifications outlined by Stena Line, including areas such as engine performance and fuel consumption, navigation and radio equipment, emergency systems, speed tests, manoeuvrability, engine and thruster tests, and safety tests.
Stena Line CEO Niclas Mårtensson said that the introduction of Stena Estrid and her two sister ships Stena Edda and Stena Embla, reflected the company’s commitment to the Irish Sea.
Next up for Stena Estrid is an official handover ceremony at the shipyard before she sets sail on the long journey from China to Holyhead to start operating on the Dublin to Holyhead route in early 2020.
At 215 metres in length, Stena Estrid and her two sister ships for the Irish Sea will be larger than today’s standard RoPax vessels and will provide freight capacity of 3,100 lane meters and the space to carry 120 cars and 1,000 passengers and crew.
The name Estrid is connected to Stena Line’s Scandinavian heritage. It is an Old Norse eastern-nordic version of the name Astrid. Estrid is commonly found on old runestones and means ‘divinely beautiful’.
Stena Line is one of Europe's leading ferry companies with 37 vessels and 20 routes in Northern Europe. 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 is part of the Stena AB Group, which has about 15 000 employees and an annual turnover of around 35 billion SEK.
About Stena Line
Stena Line is one of Europe's leading ferry companies with 37 vessels and 20 routes in Northern Europe. 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 is part of the Stena AB Group, which has about 15 000 employees and an annual turnover of around 35 billion SEK.
