E-Flexer-class ferry

The E-Flexer is a class of Chinese-built Ro-Pax ferries ordered by Stena RoRo for European line service. Nine vessels of the class are on order, and upon delivery will be operated by Stena Line, Brittany Ferries, and DFDS Seaways. Stena Line are to take five vessels of the class, Brittany Ferries three (two of which will be powered by LNG), and a single vessel will go to DFDS. All of the vessels will be delivered to Stena RoRo with the Stena Line vessels transferred to that company and the Brittany Ferries and DFDS examples long-term chartered to those operators.

Stena Edda

History

Following about two years of design work, Stena ordered the first four vessels of the class from Chinese shipbuilder AVIC Weihai in April 2016, with options for four more ships.[1] Stena originally planned to utilize the four ferries on Irish Sea services out of Belfast, but later agreed to charter the third ship in the series to Brittany Ferries.[2] In February 2018, the keel was laid for the first ship, with her delivery scheduled for early 2020.[3][2] Stena RoRo ordered a fifth ship in April 2018, which will enter service with DFDS Seaways on a ten-year charter upon delivery.[4] The following month, Stena RoRo ordered a sixth ship, to be placed with Brittany Ferries on a ten-year charter beginning in late 2021.[5] Construction on the second ship in the class began in June 2018.[6] In July, Stena Line ordered two more ships, accounting for all the options in the original 2016 order, while Stena RoRo announced that it had agreed to take new options for four more vessels.[7]

Service

The first ship in the class, named Stena Estrid, was launched in January 2019[8] and was delivered in China on 15 November.[9] On arrival in Holyhead, faulty seals on over 20 windows were discovered. Repairs were carried out prior to her maiden voyage, which took place on 13 January 2020.[10][11] She is regularly operated on Stena's route between Holyhead and Dublin.[12]

Stena Edda, the second E-flexer earmarked for Stena Line's fleet, was delivered to Stena RoRo on 15 January 2020.[13][14] Following bunkering in Singapore and Gibraltar, and an outside port limits call at Galle, the crew travelling from Weihai were also checked by local authorities for coronavirus infection, with no evidence of the disease being present.[15] She entered service on Stena's route between Belfast and Liverpool, where Stena Embla, the fourth ship of the series, is planned to operate upon her delivery in early 2021.[12]

Galicia was delivered on 3 September 2020, with her entry into service expected in 2021.[12][16][17] She will operate out of Portsmouth, England, to Santander, Spain and Cherbourg, France.[12] Brittany Ferries plans to take delivery of Salamanca in 2022, followed by Santoña in 2023.[12][18]

The fifth ship in the series, to be operated by DFDS, will be named Cote d' Opale. She will differ significantly from the other E-Flexer vessels as she will have additional public spaces in areas where passenger cabins are located on the Stena Line and Brittany Ferries ships.[19] She will operate across the Strait of Dover upon delivery.[12]

Design

E-Flexer-class ships were designed by Stena and Deltamarin.[2] The first six ships of the type measure approximately 42,400 GT and are 214.5 metres (704 ft) in length, with a beam of 27.8 metres (91 ft) and a draft of 6.4 metres (21 ft).[2] Their freight deck has a capacity of 3,100 lane meters, with additional space for about 120 cars,[2] apart from on the Brittany Ferries examples where additional passenger cabins are provided in the area occupied by the dedicated car deck on the other examples.[19] The seventh and eighth ships will be 240 metres (790 ft) long, with 3,600 lane meters of freight capacity.[7] Passenger capacity is about 1,000 people, though the interior layout is built to the requirements of the operator.[2]

The first five ships to be built are each powered by two MaK M43C diesel engines, with a total power output of 25,200 kilowatts (33,800 hp), driving two propellers that give the ships a service speed of 22 knots (25 mph).[2] Those engines are designed to be compatible with liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel after modifications.[2] Brittany Ferries' second (Salamanca) and third (Santoña) examples will be able to run on LNG from delivery,[18] though both will have reduced freight capacity as a result of the space occupied by their LNG tanks.[19] All of the E-Flexer vessels ordered to date will be ice-classed, either to 1A or 1C requirements.[19]

References
  1. "Stena Line to Add Four New RoPax Ferries". World Maritime News. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  2. "Stena's new formula for ro-pax market". The Motorship. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  3. "AVIC lays keel for first of Stena's E-Flexer ferries". Baird Maritime. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  4. "Stena orders "Gas Ready" RoPax for charter to DFDS". Marine Log. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  5. "Stena RoRo Places an Order for LNG Newbuild". Marine Link. 25 May 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  6. "Keel laid for second Stena Line ferry". Baird Maritime. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  7. "Stena Lifts Options for Two More E-Flexer Ships". World Maritime News. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  8. "Stena Line launches next-gen RoPax". The Motorship. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  9. "Stena Line takes delivery of Irish Sea-bound ferry at China shipyard". Mynewsdesk. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  10. "Leaking windows discovered on Stena Line's new £160m ferry days before sailing". Daily Post. 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
  11. Long Journey Ends at Holyhead Ships Monthly March 2020 page 20
  12. "RO-PAX BOOST TO ANGLO-SPANISH ROUTES". The Motorship. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  13. "Stena takes delivery of second E-Flexer". Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  14. Second E-Flexer Enters Service Ships Monthly May 2020 page 22
  15. McDonald, Gary (2020-02-28). "Crew checked for virus' as new ferry arrives in Belfast from China". irishnews.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  16. "Latest E-Flexer has added passenger capacity". Marine Log. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  17. Galicia: New E-Flexer Debuts Ships Monthly January 2021 page 33-35
  18. "Brittany Ferries names new ships and promises significant CO2 savings from fleet renewal plans – Brittany Ferries". Retrieved 2019-07-21.
  19. Holthoff, Phillipe (March 2019). "Stena RoRo's E-Flexer: The Ultimate One Size Fits All". Shippax Info: 12.
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