Marine Atlantic to charter in dual-fuel RoPax
Written by Nick Blenkey
Marine Atlantic will have option to buy the E-Flexer at the end of five-year charter from StenaRoRo
Marine Atlantic has reached an agreement to charter in a new RoPax ferry from Sweden’s Stena RoRo. The vessel will be the tenth E-Flexer vessel to be ordered by Stena RoRo at China’s CMI Jinling (Weihai) and delivery is expected in 2024.
Marine Atlantic is the Canadian federal corporation that provides freight and passenger services between the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. It says that the five-year charter agreement for the vessel was entered into after a competitive procurement process and that it will have an option to purchase. Following the five-year charter agreement, Marine Atlantic will have an option to purchase the vessel on conclusion of the charter.
GREEN SHIP TECHNOLOGY
The new vessel will offer energy efficient green ship technology. The vessel’s design will incorporate dual-fuel technology and will be equipped with batteries to further reduce its carbon footprint. The ship will be constructed with specific measures to reduce underwater noise, thereby reducing the impact on marine life. The ship will also offer enhanced power and thruster capability for maximum maneuvering ability during docking and undocking.
The ice-classed vessel will be approximately 200 meters in length, with the ability to carry commercial and passenger vehicles. It will incorporate the latest accessibility standards, carry up to 1,000 passengers, have 146 passenger cabins (including pet friendly cabins), 40 passenger pods, a variety of food service options, seating lounges, a children’s play area, and a kennel for pets.
The ship will be compatible for use on both the Port aux Basques and Argentia services and is expected to enter service in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
“Marine Atlantic is a former customer of ours,” said Per Westling, managing director for Stena RoRo. “We delivered one ferry in 2000 and two more in 2010 to Marine Atlantic, all of which are still in service. We were successful in executing this new charter contract after a very competitive and extensive procurement process.”
“Our focus is on adapting ship design to our customers’ specific wishes and in this case, our E-Flexer platform is very well suited, as it meets the customer’s requirements for an optimal hull form combined with efficient dual-fuel engines and a battery-hybrid solution to minimize emissions,” he added.
