Stena Line’s new Belfast – Liverpool (Birkenhead) ferry, STENA EDDA, has set a course for Algeciras having left the Suez Canal on Friday. The new ship is the first of two new ferries which will join the route within the next year. By the time she reaches Algeciras she will have already travelled in excess of 9,000 miles from her builders yard at Weihai in China.
At the time of writing STENA EDDA is currently south of Sicily. The brand-new ferry is currently expected to arrive at Algeciras on Thursday (20.02.2020). While at the Spanish port she will take on bunkers and stores before continuing her journey to the U.K.
STENA EDDA is the latest part of Stena Line’s investment in their Irish Sea service. According to Stena Line CEO Niclas Mårtensson the company are investing £400-500m on their Irish Sea routes within two years. The actual cost of the new ships is a closely guarded secret. The company also invested a significant sum in the life-extension of STENA EUROPE last year, while STENA ADVENTURER is presently being refitted and refurbished in Falmouth.
‘Edda’s’ sister-ship STENA ESTRID began service between Holyhead and Dublin in January and STENA EDDA is expected to be in service from Belfast during March. A third vessel from the same ‘Stena E-Flexer’ series, STENA EMBLA, is due to be delivered to Stena around the end of the year prior to entering service during spring 2021. Like STENA EDDA, she will serve the Stena Line route between Birkenhead and Belfast.
