GIANT FERRY SET FOR 2020

Stena confirm 1000-passenger vessel for Irish Sea route:

STENA Line is set to bring a new giant ferry into serviceon the Holyhead to Dublin route.

Stena has confirmed that the first of its new RoPax ferries, under construction in China, is planned to enter service on the Irish Sea route early 2020.

The Stena E-Flexer vessel – which will be among the most energy efficient in the world – will replace the Superfast X on the route.

The new ship will have capacity for 1,000 passengers, 120 cars as well as extra freight space as it delivers four daily sailings with an estimated crossing time of 3.5 hrs.

It is a major vote of confidence in Holyhead at a time where there are concerns about the potential impact of Brexit on the port.

Ian Davies, Stena Line Trade Director Irish Sea South, said: “Freight volumes have surpassed the Celtic Tiger peaks of 2007 and we are confident that this upward trend will continue. 2017 was a record year for Stena Line in the Irish Sea.

“We carried more than 800,000 freight units on our routes to and from the Island of Ireland.

“We welcome the addition of the first of our new generation RoPax vessels on Holyhead - Dublin,” he added.

“It will significantly increase freight capacity and raise the service standards for travel and freight customers.”

Last year Stena announced a new build contract for a new generation of RoPax ferry vessels, with planned deliveries during 2020 and 2021.