New RoPax Ship Stena Embla Arrives in Belfast

MarineLink January 3, 2021

Stena Embla is the third new ship to be added to Irish Sea routes. Photo: Stena Line

Stena Embla, the third E-Flexer ferry to be commissioned for Stena Line’s Irish Sea routes in the last 12 months, recently arrived in Belfast.

Touted by the owner as "three of the most modern ferries in the world," Stena Embla join her sister ship on the popular Belfast – Liverpool route later this month. Stena Embla has the capacity to carry 1,000 passengers, 120 cars and 3,100 lane metres of freight. This will provide a significant 20% increase in freight capacity for the route, which is expected to see an increase in demand post-Brexit.

“We have now invested over £400m in our ferries and port facilities on the Irish Sea in recent years," said Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Irish Sea Trade Director. "The Belfast-Liverpool route is one of the most popular Irish Sea crossings for both freight and leisure traffic so having a second vessel of the caliber of Stena Embla, with a host of high-quality passenger facilities, will further increase its appeal and expand our capacity.”

The new RoPax ferry will make one daily return trip between Belfast and Liverpool. Stena Line is the largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, with the biggest fleet offering the widest choice of routes including, combined passenger and freight services from Belfast to Cairnryan and Liverpool,

Photo: Stena Line