Stena Ebba named and put into operation between Sweden and Poland
Stena Line has held a christening ceremony for its fifth E-Flexer vessel Stena Ebba, marks the launch of its second E-Flexer ferry on the Karlskrona-Gdynia route.
Stena Ebba was named by her godmother Ulrica Messing, the governor of the Blekinge region in Sweden, who, according to tradition, smashed a bottle of champagne against the ship.
The event follows the introduction of the sister ship Stene Estelle in September 2022 on the route between Sweden and Poland.
“The addition of our new modern Stena Ebba ferry in the southern Baltic Sea is Stena Line’s response to customer demand in a dynamic economic area that continues to grow,” says Niclas MårtenssonCEO Stena Line.
“We have operated this ferry line for more than 25 years and with our new E-Flexer ferries we will enable our partners to expand their business through improved access to European markets and supply chains.”
Stena Ebba is one of the largest ferries in regular traffic in the Baltic Sea. It is 240 meters long, has room for 1,200 people and holds up to 200 trucks. At 3,600 cubic meters, capacity has increased by no less than a 60 percent increase compared to the previous vessel on the route. The vessel was built by China Merchant Jinling (Weihai) shipyard, China, and delivered in September 2022.
The ferry’s energy efficiency derives from an optimized design and the ability to use shore power during port calls and thereby reduce exhaust emissions. The electrical connection also enables conversion to a battery hybrid in the future.
Stena Ebba and Stena Estelle have optimized hull, propeller and rudder designs for maximum efficiency. All five E-Flexer vessels are gas-ready to enable conversion to methanol or LNG fuel.
In the last year, Stena Line has moved to the new ferry terminal in Gdynia, which allows the call of 240 m vessels and offers the possibility to develop an intermodal solution, thanks to the proximity to railway tracks.