Stena Embla | Stena Line

Stena Embla Introduction

Stena Embla is the second of two brand-new ferries being introduced on the Belfast to Liverpool (Birkenhead) route by Stena Line in 2020 and 2021. She is the third of five new “next-generation” E-Flexer class ferries ordered by Stena RoRo for service with sister-company Stena Line. Stena Embla is a slightly modified sister to the first two vessels in the series, STENA ESTRID and STENA EDDA.

From the start of steel cutting to delivery, STENA EMBLA took 25 months to construct. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the shipyard and suppliers, STENA EMBLA was delivered on-time in November 2020. Senior Master Captain Neil Whittaker took delivery of the vessel with his team. Stena Line CEO Niclas Mårtensson took part in the delivery via video link from Gothenburg due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

STENA EMBLA made her first arrival in the UK at Holyhead, where she called for a couple of hours in the early hours of January 2. At around 11:45 the same day she arrived at Belfast, completing her month-long delivery voyage from China.

In early 2021, STENA EMBLA is expected to replace STENA MERSEY on the Belfast – Liverpool (Birkenhead) route. As a result, she will operate opposite sister-ship STENA EDDA on the route, and STENA MERSEY will go for rebuilding in Turkey. Once completed, ‘Mersey’ will join her sister-ship STENA LAGAN on the Baltic Sea Ventspils – Nynashamn route.

Embla?

Stena Line are using a new naming scheme with their E-Flexer vessels, choosing to use female Nordic names beginning with “E” with the usual Stena prefix. The names of the first three vessels were chosen via a staff competition.  According to Stena Line, Embla:

is an Old Norse name. In Norse mythology it was the name of the first woman. Its origin comes from the Old Norse word for ‘elm’. 

Onboard Passenger Facilities

The passenger facilities on STENA EMBLA are virtually identical to STENA ESTRID and STENA EDDA. Like those ships, passenger facilities are spread out over 4 decks as follows.  

Public facilities are housed on Deck’s 7 and 8. The latter of these also houses approximately half of the passenger cabins.  Deck 9 is a cabin and crew deck while Deck 10 is at the top of the ship and has a passenger accessible sun deck.  

A total of 175 passenger cabins are provided including six deluxe cabins and disabled cabins. This is a significant increase in the number of cabins provided on STENA MERSEY.

Outside deck space is plentiful, with promenade decks on both sides of deck 7, a sun deck on deck 10, and outside decks aft on decks 8 and 9. The spaces on decks 8 and 9 also double up as balconies for the deluxe cabins.

For a detailed impression of how STENA EMBLA looks inside, see our first look inside Stena Estrid feature. STENA EMBLA is virtually identical to her sisters, with only minor cosmetic changes inside. The photos below are from sister-ships STENA ESTRID and STENA EDDA. These will be replaced when detailed photos of STENA EMBLA become available.

Internal Layout plan

Stena Embla Deck 7 Facilities and Layout Plan

• Dedicated car deck with direct walk-through access to the passenger facilities.
• Guest Services.
• ‘Barista’ Coffee House.
• Outlet Onboard (shop).
• ‘Happy World’ children’s play area and lounge.
• ‘Taste’ restaurant with digital menu boards.
• Two outside promenade decks with smoking section (port / starboard).
• Twelve temperature controlled enclosed dog kennels with owner access via key code, CCTV, and outside exercise area.
• Male, Female, and Disabled Toilets and Baby Changing area.
• Free Wi-Fi access.

Stena Embla Deck 7 Plan

Stena Embla Deck 8 Facilities and Layout Plan

• ‘Stena Plus’ premium lounge (additional fee applies) with table service and dedicated toilet facilities.
• ‘Hygge’ recline lounge (additional fee applies).
• Interactive ‘Experience wall’.
• The ‘Living Room’ lounge.
• ‘Truckers’ commercial drivers lounge and restaurant.
• Video games and gaming area.
• ‘Happy World’ children’s play room.
• The ‘Sky Bar’ bar and lounge.
• Two separate free movie lounges.
• A selection of passenger cabins including three deluxe cabins with balcony access and disabled cabin.  All cabins are secured using a digital ‘VingCard’ system and have a ‘BazePort’ infotainment TV system installed.
• Male, Female, and Disabled Toilets.
• Free Wi-Fi access.
• Outside deck space aft.

Stena Embla Deck 8 Plan

Stena Embla Deck 9 Facilities and Layout Plan

• A selection of passenger cabins including three deluxe cabins with balcony access and a disabled cabin.  All cabins are secured using a digital ‘VingCard’ system and have a ‘BazePort’ infotainment TV system installed.
• The remainder of Deck 9 is occupied by crew accommodation areas and the navigation bridge.
• Free Wi-Fi access.
• Outside deck space aft.
• Crew facilities and cabins

Stena Embla Deck 9 Plan

Stena Embla Deck 10 Facilities and Layout Plan

• Sun Deck.

Stena Embla Deck 10 Plan

Key Dates – Stena Embla

Stena Embla Technical Data

	Stena Embla
IMO Number	9807322
Callsign	MGGH4
Class	Stena “E-Flexer” Passenger and Ro-Ro Cargo (Ro-Pax) ferry
Building Yard	China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) Co., Ltd., Shandong Province, China (previously known as AVIC Weihai Shipyard Co., Ltd)
Design	Stena / Deltamarin
Naval Architect	Deltamarin, Turku, Finland
Project Management	Stena RoRo Deltamarin, Turku, Finland (EPCM)
Interior designer and architect	Figura Arkitekter, Gothenburg, Sweden
Delivery and installation of public spaces, galleys, & cabins	R&M (Rheinhold & Mahla), Hamburg, Germany / Weihai, China
Galley Equipment	Aluminox SA, Greece
Contract date	Ordered by Stena RoRo on 11th March, 2016 (Part of a contract for 4 initial vessels with options for a further 2 + 2)
Hull Number	W0266
Certification	Class: DNV GL Class 1A Type: 410 – Car Ferry Additional class notations: 1A Ferry(A) BIS BWM(T) Clean COMF(V-2) E0 Gas ready(D, MEC) Ice(1A) NAUT(AW) Recyclable TMON VIBR2
Operator	Stena Line Irish Sea Ferries Ltd, Birkenhead, England
Vessel Management	Stena Line
In service (Stena Line)	TBC – Early 2020
Route	Belfast – Liverpool (Birkenhead)
Length Overall	214.481 m 1
Length BP	202.518 m 1
Beam	27.297 m (28.436 extreme) 1
Draught	6.7 m 1
Gross Tonnage	41,671 GT 1
DWT	7,700 1
Number of decks	10 (3 passenger decks plus sun deck)
Machinery	Main-propulsion package supplied by Caterpillar Marine including 2 x Caterpillar MaK 12 M43 C gas (Methanol or LNG) ready V12 4-stroke marine diesel propulsion engines built by Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Rostock, Germany. (Note that to run with Methanol or LNG the engines will require upgrading to MaK 12 M46 dual-fuel specification – this has been allowed for in the design). Each main engine is coupled to a Caterpillar supplied gearbox (Renk RSHL-1120).   2 x Caterpillar Feathering Controllable-Pitch Propellers MPP 1410f (PB58547). 3 x Wärtsilä Wärtsilä 8L20 auxiliary engines, supplied by Wärtsila Finland Oy. 2 x Wärtsila WTT24 CP 2,400kW bow thrusters, supplied by Wärtsilä Netherlands. S12A2-M(P)TA Emergency Generator, supplied by Mitsubishi Turbocharger and Engine Europe B.V 2 x WE Tech 2,600kW permanent magnet shaft generators, with variable frequency drive (WE Drive) connected to a DC-link switchboard (WE Tech solution 4) for bow thrusters and Power Take Out (PTO) (WE Tech solution 1). Novenco HVAC systems including chillers AHU, VAV cabin units, fans and all control systems.  Gas ready and prepared for scrubber and catalytic converter installation should it be required. 2 x “high lift” flap ruddersMitsubishi fin stabilisers
Power (Max)	25,200 kW
Design Speed	22 kts
Passenger Capacity	927
Crew	73 * (* figure quoted by Stena for standard layout)
Passenger Cabins	175 (including six deluxe and two cabins specifically adapted for people with physical disabilities)
Vehicle capacity	3,100 lane metres of freight (on 3 decks – 1, 3, 5) plus 120 cars on an additional deck (deck 7) 5.2 m free height on deck 3 and 5 Twin-level drive-through loading configuration with bow and stern doors and tilting internal ramps between decks.
Flag state (port)	Cyprus (Limassol)

Key Supplier Information

Note that while the suppliers used on STENA EDDA and STENA ESTRID remain largely consistent throughout the E-Flexer series, Brittany Ferries and DFDS have opted to use their own choice of suppliers on some aspects of their vessels.  For instance, DFDS’s CÔTE D’ OPALE will have an HVAC system supplied by Heinen and Hopman rather than Novenco.  DFDS also intends to appoint its own interior designers in addition to Figura. Figura’s services are included as part of each company’s build and charter contracts with Stena RoRo, however.

Stena Embla Gallery

Sources & Further Reading

• Holtoff, P. (2019). Shippax Info March 19, pp. 7-23
• https://www.ship-technology.com/projects/stena-e-flexer-ropax-ferry/
• https://www.stenaroro.com/cases/newbuild/
• https://www.niferry.co.uk/stena-e-flexer-new-stena-ropax-ferries/

1. Vesselregister.dnvgl.com. 2020. DNV GL Vessel Register. [online] Available at: <https://vesselregister.dnvgl.com/vesselregister/vesselregister.html> [Accessed 19 November 2020].[↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]
2. Vesselregister.dnvgl.com. 2020. DNV GL Vessel Register. [online] Available at: <https://vesselregister.dnvgl.com/vesselregister/vesselregister.html> [Accessed 19 November 2020].[↩]