China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Weihai has laid the keel of a new freight-only Ro-Ro vessel ordered by Swedish transport company Stena Line. Stena Futura is the first in a new series of two Ro-Ro vessels to be fitted with hybrid propulsion systems that will also be able to operate on methanol.
The two vessels will be operated on Stena Line's between the UK cities of Belfast and Heysham via the Irish Sea. The ships will also feature battery propulsion and shore power charging connections.
The vessels will each have capacity for up to 2,800 lane metres of freight. An optimised hull form will meanwhile enable each ship to transport more freight per voyage compared to vessels of similar size.
The laying of the keel of Stena Futura's sister ship is scheduled for the autumn of 2024. Stena Line expects the two new vessels to be operational on the Irish Sea by 2025.