On July 18th, the first NewMax series 2800-meter lane ro-ro vessel, “Stena Futura” (W0320), built by China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard for Swedish ferry operator Stena Line, was completed and delivered. Representatives from Stena Line and Weihai Shipyard signed the project documents for W0320.
The vessel has an overall length of 147.0 meters, a beam of 26.3 meters, a design draft of 5.2 meters, and a service speed of 16.5 knots. It can accommodate 12 passengers and 26 crew members while providing 2,800 meters of lane capacity, maximizing freight volume—an 80% increase compared to Stena’s current ro-ro fleet. The ship is “methanol-ready” and can also utilize battery propulsion and shore power.
This is one of two custom-built hybrid ro-ro vessels ordered by Stena Line at Weihai Shipyard in 2023 to serve its expanding Belfast-Heysham route in the Irish Sea. Following the delivery of the first vessel, “Stena Futura,” the second in the series, “Stena Connecta,” is expected to be delivered later this year.
Stena Line, established in 1962 and headquartered in Gothenburg, is one of Europe’s leading ferry companies. It operates 40 vessels across 20 routes in Northern Europe, running 33,300 sailings annually. As a key part of Europe’s logistics network, Stena Line develops new intermodal solutions by integrating rail, road, and sea transport. It also plays a significant role in European tourism through its extensive passenger services. Currently, Stena Line employs 6,100 people and has an annual turnover of 19 billion SEK (approximately 11.88 billion RMB).
Stena Line is a long-term partner of Weihai Shipyard, having ordered a total of 15 E-FLEXER series high-end ro-pax vessels and 2 NewMax ro-ro vessels from Weihai Jinling since 2016. The E-FLEXER series represents some of the most advanced ro-pax vessels ever built in China and is among the most energy-efficient models of its kind globally.
