As a response to increased customer demand in the Baltic Sea South region, Stena Line will launch its two new E-Flexer vessels on the route between Karlskrona and Gdynia. The E-Flexers are modern, fuel-efficient ferries, and a vital part of Stena Lines’s strategy for expansion as well as the company’s aim to develop sustainable shipping.
Stena Line will launch two E-Flexer ferries on the route between Swedish Karlskrona and Polish Gdynia in 2022. The first E-Flexer will commence operations in July and the second in November. Both were originally planned to be deployed on the route between Swedish Nynäshamn and Latvian Ventspils, but due to a particular strong freight development in Baltic Sea South, Stena Line has decided that the E-Flexers are at the moment best used there.
The recently lengthened and modernized Stena Scandia and Stena Baltica will continue to serve the route between Nynäshamn and Ventspils, thus continuing to add a 30% freight and 70% cabin space boost in capacity.
The E-flexors are part of the company’s ambition to further strengthen its position in the Baltic Sea and grow together with its customers.
“Flexibility and growing with our customers is key for Stena Line, and with the E-Flexers that we are now deploying on the route Karlskrona-Gdynia we are striving to offer a fleet that is as flexible as possible, responding to the needs of our customers,” says Niclas Mårtensson, CEO Stena Line.
The name E-Flexer is chosen to reflect two of the main goals of the design – efficiency, and flexibility. The ships are among the most fuel-efficient in the world for their size, while also being flexible enough to operate across different routes. Moreover, they are delivered ready both for conversion to battery hybrid operation and for conversion to methanol or liquid natural gas (LNG) fuel, when the necessary bunkering infrastructure is in place.
Over the past years, Stena Line has expanded heavily in the Baltic Sea, driven by increased customer demand for sea transportation – for both freight and passengers. Besides deploying Stena Scandica and Stena Baltica between Nynäshamn and Ventspils in July 2021 (Scandica) and January 2022 (Baltica), Stena Line has added 40% more freight capacity between Liepāja in Latvia and German Travemünde, by deploying the RoPax-ferries Stena Livia and Stena Flavia on this route.
Stena Line has also opened a completely new route between Swedish Nynäshamn and Finnish Hanko on 1 February 2022, served by the vessel Urd. A second vessel (Stena Gothica) will be added at the end of May.
Quick facts on E-Flexers:
- Will be deployed between Swedish Karlskrona and Gdynia in Poland
- The first E-Flexer will commence operations in July and the second in November
- Length: 240 meters
- Capacity: 1.200 passengers and 3.600 freight lane meters each
