Stena RoRo has ordered two new C-Flexer ro-ro vessels, with options for an additional four. The order is a step in the company’s long-term strategy to offer flexible, futureproof ro-ro vessels to the global market.
The vessels have been developed by Stena RoRo in close cooperation with Italian design company NAOS Ship and Boat Design.
“With Stena RoRo’s extensive experience and market knowledge, combined with NAOS’s outstanding expertise in designing fuel-efficient ro-ro and ro-pax vessels, we have developed ships that are built for today and designed for tomorrow,” said Per Westling, the CEO of Stena RoRo.
One C-Flexer ro-ro vessel is scheduled for delivery in March 2029, the other in June 2029. The optional vessels would be delivered at three-month intervals thereafter.
Built at CMI Weihai Shipyard
The vessels will be built at China Merchants Industry (CMI) Weihai Shipyard. Stena and CMI have had a decade-long partnership, resulting in 17 vessels built at the shipyard.
The cooperation began in 2016 with an order for four E-Flexer ro-pax vessels and has since grown to include two Stena NewMax ro-ro vessels.
“The cooperation between CMI Weihai and Stena RoRo has been crucial to the success of the ro-pax and ro-ro concepts delivered so far,” said Westling. “It has enabled us to supply both Stena Line and external customers with tailor-made vessels delivered on time and with very high quality.”
C-Flexer technical features
The C-Flexer design offers a high degree of flexibility, enabling Stena RoRo to provide customers with vessels tailored to specific operational needs. A highly developed hull form, multifuel engines and a scalable battery-hybrid system ensure the vessels are futureproofed and can be progressively ‘greened’ in line with technological advances and regulatory developments.
“In the future the C-Flexer will be able to operate entirely on batteries. Until then, the installed diesel-battery hybrid system will provide the necessary flexibility and redundancy for many years to come,” Westling concluded.
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