Stena Line increases Heysham capacity with two new ferries

A pair of new ferries are under construction which will almost double Stena Line's freight capacity along its Heysham to Belfast route.

Each of the two new 147-meter vessels has been designed to maximise freight volumes and will provide 2,800 lane meters of capacity which is an 80 per cent increase on current ship capacities.

The ferries must be carefully designed and constructed to meet the challenging tidal systems prevailing in Heysham. Each vessel will be fitted with a bespoke marine technology configuration making it more resilient to the extreme weather conditions it will face.

They will also be able to operate on methanol fuel, which furthers Stena Line's ambition of shifting to renewable fuels and cutting 30 per cent of its CO2 emissions by 2030.

Paul Grant, Stena Line trade director, said: "This is very significant day for Heysham-Belfast freight traffic. By adding an extra 80 per cent capacity to the route, Stena Line has responded to growing demands from customers. 

"We have operated a very popular service on Heysham-Belfast for several years now but with restricted capacity it has been challenging to meet increased market growth. With the extra capacity, we will now be able to significantly enhance our service on this route and complement our Birkenhead, Cairnryan and Holyhead services.”

Phil Hall of Peel Ports Group said: "The Heysham-Belfast freight service is extremely important to the Port of Heysham. The construction of Stena Line’s two new ferries will go a long way towards meeting increased customer demand, while the additional capacity will allow for enhanced services for our port users."