Stena-Futura

The 'Stena Futura' has arrived in Belfast on Sep 12 after its long delivery vyoage from the Jinling Weihai shipyard, where it was built via the Cape of Good Hope and with a stopover in Cape Verde, and was now preparing to join the Belfast-Heysham line. She is the first of two new hybrid roll-on-roles designed by Naos for methanol consumption. The sister ship 'Stena Connecta' will arrive in early 2026. Both vessels will increase cargo capacity on the Belfast-Heysham line by 40%, in response to increased demand for services between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Whle the two hybrid vessels are equipped for methanol consumption, they also incorporate technologies that allow them to use both the 9 MWh battery propulsion and shore power when available. Stena Line is working closely with methanol suppliers to secure future e-methanol volumes, contributing to the vessel's goal of reducing its CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030. In addition, the 'Stena Connecta' will be equipped with two 28 x 4 m Norsepower rotor sails, which are expected to provide fuel savings of up to 9% on the planned trade route, while the 'Stena Futura' has the pre-installed installation.

The Stena Futura, the first of Stena Line's new hybrid ferries built by the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, Weihai, for the Irish Sea, has successfully completed its sea trials on the Yellow Sea off Weihai in June 2025. The vessel is scheduled to enter service on the Belfast-Heysham route in late summer. The sea trials tested the vessel at sea to demonstrate proper operation and ensure that all systems are fully functional and meet agreed specifications. The tests were covering areas such as engine performance and endurance, fuel consumption, navigation and radio equipment, emergency systems, speed tests, maneuverability, engine and thruster tests, and safety tests. Once in service, the 'Stena Futura' and its sister ship, the 'Stena Connecta', will increase cargo capacity on the Belfast-Heysham route by 40 percent. The two hybrid ferries are equipped to run on methanol fuel and play a key role in Stena Line's sustainability efforts. The ships are also equipped with technologies that enable the use of battery propulsion and shore power when available. Report with photo: https://news.cision.com/de/stena-line-deutschland/r/stena-futura-schliesst-seeerprobung-in-china-erfolgreich-ab,c4162674