This latest order takes the Total number of E-Flexer vessels ordered by Stena RoRo to 9
French ferry company Brittany Ferries announced earlier today that they have agreed to charter an additional Chinese built Stena E-Flexer ferry from Sweden’s Stena RoRo. The Swedish company still has options for a further two vessels to be built at the AVIC Weihai yard in China. As with the other two Brittany Ferries E-Flexer vessels GALICIA and SALAMANCA, this latest as yet unnamed vessel will be chartered from Stena RoRo with an option to purchase. Brittany Ferries have not yet specified which specific route(s) the new vessel will operate on when it joins the fleet in 2023. From the little detail released so far, it appears she will be a sister or near-sister to SALAMANCA which unlike GALICIA has been designed to run LNG from the outset. Like all E-Flexer vessels, GALICIA has been designed to DNV-GL’s Gas Ready notation meaning she can easily be upgraded to LNG capability if later required.
To find out more about the Stena E-Flexer class, nine of which will be delivered to three operators (Stena Line, Brittany Ferries, and DFDS), see our special feature here.
Of the nine Stena E-Flexer vessels ordered to date, 5 are for Stena RoRo sister company Stena Line (including two for the Belfast to Liverpool route), and three for Brittany Ferries. The remaining example is for DFDS’s Dover to Calais route and will be built with several differences to the other vessels in the class which take account of the unique requirements of her intended route. The first E-Flexer STENA ESTRID has already been floated out and is being fitted out ahead of her introduction to the Holyhead to Dublin route next year.
Brittany Ferries has today announced the charter of a third brand new cruise-ferry to serve its long-haul routes. To be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas), the ship will be built at the AVIC Weihai Shipyard in China and is due to join Brittany Ferries’ network in 2023.
https://brittanyferriesnewsroom.com/brittany-ferries-confirms-fourth-new-cruise-ferry-post-brexit/
As yet unnamed, the new ship will be chartered from Stena RoRo and will be built to the Swedish shipowner’s E-Flexer design. Its arrival will bring to three the number of E-Flexer class ships in Brittany Ferries’ fleet following the arrival of Galicia in 2021 and Salamanca in 2022. Brittany Ferries is also constructing another new ship, Honfleur, at the FSG shipyard in Flensburg Germany, for delivery expected in late 2019.
The charter agreement, which includes an option to purchase, represents the next step in a fleet renewal and investment programme worth around €550m. It will offer increased capacity and comfort for customers as well as employment of French seafarers.
Brittany Ferries is proud to be the largest employer of French seafarers and is committed to fleet renewal and a more sustainable future.
Like Salamanca and Honfleur, the new ship will be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). It’s a fuel which presents major environmental advantages over conventional maritime fuels, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 20% and cutting sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate emissions to almost zero.
Brittany Ferries’ CEO Christophe Mathieu comments: “We’re delighted to be adding another E-Flexer class cruise-ferry to our fleet. These are environmentally-friendly, capacious and comfortable ships which perfectly suit to our long-haul services.
“The charter will continue our fleet renewal plans, marking the fourth brand new ship in five years. It signals our confidence in the demand for ferry travel post-Brexit and will help us meet the needs of our passenger and freight customers in the decades to come. It also clearly demonstrates our commitment to LNG as a fuel and, our ambition to operate one of the most modern, green and comfortable ferry fleets in the world.”
The three 42,200 tonne E-Flexer class ships will be among the biggest in Brittany Ferries’ fleet. Each will be 215 metres long with 3,000 garage lane metres for freight vehicles, and capacity for around 1,000 passengers in 340 en-suite cabins.