Stena Advances in the Electric Ferry Project “Stena Elektra”

During a conference held at the port of Gothenburg for the presentation of the Tranzero project – which involves Volvo, Scania, and Stena Line – the CEO of the powerful Swedish shipping group, Niclas Martensson, announced that the company intends to make the electric ship project “Stena Elektra” a reality with the first order in 2025.

Stena Line is progressing in the development that aims to present by the end of 2023 or early 2024, with detailed design and specifications, and in 2025 plans to sign the contract for two ships of 200 m in length, 1,000 passengers, and 3,000 linear meters of roll-on/roll-off cargo, which will be destined for the Gothenburg-Fredrikshamn route.

The first of them will be named “Stena Elektra” and is expected to be in service by 2030. Both will be built with high-strength steel to reduce weight and increase efficiency. They are estimated to be able to sail about 50 nautical miles on battery electric power, with a capacity of 60-70 MWh, which corresponds to the distance between the two ports.

The batteries will be recharged during stays in port. At the same time, Stena Line is also investigating the possibility of combining batteries with other alternative fuels, such as fuel cells, hydrogen, and biomethanol, in order to increase autonomy.

Niclas Martesson states that “the electrification of maritime transport has only just begun. We see great potential for battery hybrids and battery-only vessels on several of our routes in Europe. But more than just electric ships is needed. Other infrastructures, such as green electricity charging options in ports, must be developed in parallel, and therefore, it is important to collaborate across different disciplines, as in the case of the Tranzero Initiative.”

Photo: Stena Line