Stena RoRo

Past and Present – Stena RoRo

Stena RoRo is a wholly owned division of Stena AB and is one of the leading innovators in the design and development of roll on/roll off cargo and passenger concepts for both the Stena Group and external clients. In addition to these activities the company is also a ship owner and is active in the business of ship chartering with a number of RoRo and RoPax vessels currently on charter to operators all over the world.

A major milestone in the Stena RoRo story came in 1977 when eleven new RoRo vessels were built at the Hyundai Shipyard at Ulsan in South Korea. Known as the ‘Searunner Class’ this order was seen as an important and crucial moment for the ferry industry and was the starting-point for the future engagement in successful RoRo operations for many of today’s biggest and well known ferry operators.

The company has repeat this success with the construction of eleven new vessels at the AVIC Weihai shipyard in China. Known as the ‘Stena E-Flexer Class‘, they have been designed from the outset to not only be environmentally friendly and efficient but also flexible (hence the name E-Flexer). The vessels are designed to be very adaptable and will be used by Stena Line, Brittany Ferries (BAI), Marine Atlantic and DFDS.

Stena Line operate five vessels (three standard length and two extended length) of the class, Brittany Ferries (BAI) three (with a further two shortened LNG hybrid versions on order), DFDS operate one of the class between Dover and Calais and Marine Atlantic will operate one of the class. The vessels delivered to Brittany Ferries, DFDS and Marine Atlantic will be long-term chartered from Stena RoRo.