Stena Orders Hybrid-Battery E-Flexer Ferries for 2030

Stena Adds Battery Capability to Proven E-Flexer Platform

According to a report by Maritime Executive, Stena Line has placed an order for two new ferries that build on its established hybrid E-Flexer design, this time incorporating battery propulsion capacity. The E-Flexer platform, created a decade ago by Stena RoRo, has now grown to 17 vessels ordered across the group, with seven in Stena Line’s own fleet and ten chartered out to other operators.

The new variant marks a step change for the design: Stena RoRo has engineered it so the ferries can eventually run entirely on battery power. The propulsion setup is diesel-electric, capable of burning multiple fuel types including biodiesel, with engines also prepared for future methanol use. Onboard, the shipbuilder has reserved space for as much as 85 MWh of battery capacity — though how much is actually installed will depend on the operator’s needs.

Flexible Battery Rollout Tied to Cost, Safety and Regulation

Per Westling, CEO of Stena RoRo, expressed confidence that the platform will keep evolving to fit a broad spread of ferry routes as battery technology matures. Rather than locking operators into a fixed battery configuration, the design allows capacity to be added over time, at a pace and scale each ferry operator chooses. Stena RoRo notes that decisions on how much battery power to fit will hinge on factors such as battery cost, energy density, fire safety considerations, an operator’s environmental targets, and how regulations continue to develop.

This modular approach is a notable departure from a fixed newbuild spec, and it reflects how quickly battery economics and safety standards are shifting in the ferry sector. For technical managers, it effectively defers some capital decisions to a point when battery costs and energy density may be more favorable — but it also means owners need robust survey and condition-monitoring regimes in place to track how retrofitted battery systems interact with existing hull, fire-safety, and power-management systems over the vessel’s life.

Order Details and Build Program

The two vessels, with an option for two more, will be constructed at China Merchants Shipbuilding Industry (CMI) Weihai in China, a yard that has already delivered 13 E-Flexer RoPax ships and has four more under construction. CMI Weihai is also building four additional RoRo vessels for Stena based on separate designs. Delivery of the two new hybrid-battery ferries is scheduled for 2030.

Deployment on the Gothenburg–Frederikshavn Route

Stena Line intends the ships to operate as day ferries on the Gothenburg, Sweden to Frederikshavn, Denmark route. At 214.5 meters in length, they will carry three vehicle decks — one for cars and two for trucks — offering 2,750 lane meters and capacity for 1,500 passengers. Because they are configured as day ferries rather than overnight vessels, they will carry only 132 cabins in total for passengers and crew.

Christina Bromander, Trade Director for Stena Line’s Denmark routes, said the added freight capacity will be especially useful as the company prepares to shift to a new port location in Arendal, where rail connections offer stronger intermodal opportunities. She described the current vessels on the route, Stena Danica and Stena Jutlandica, as reliable long-serving workhorses — Stena Danica has been on the route since 1984 and Stena Jutlandica since 1996 — but said the new generation will bring meaningful gains in sustainability, passenger comfort, and freight handling.

What It Means for Owners and Charterers

For ship owners and managers watching the ferry segment, this order underscores a broader industry trend: newbuilds are increasingly designed with upgrade paths built in, rather than fixed technology at delivery. That approach reduces newbuild risk but shifts more responsibility onto in-service inspection and condition assessment programs to verify that retrofitted battery systems, alternative-fuel readiness, and structural provisions perform as intended once installed. As more ferry operators adopt this staged electrification model, thorough condition surveys and machinery inspections will become even more central to validating that these flexible designs deliver the promised efficiency and safety outcomes over a vessel’s operating life.

Reviewed by Ibrahim Halil Ceylan, Marine Surveyor at Apeks Marine.