Stena Line

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For the Romanian village formerly called Ştena, see Jibert.
Stena Line
Type Private
Industry Transport
Founded 1962
Headquarters Gothenburg, Sweden
Key people Carl-Johan Hagman (MD & CEO)
Products Ferries, port services, passenger transportation, freight transportation, holidays, business travel
Revenue 9,5 billion SEK (2006)
Employees 5,700 (2006)
Website www.stenaline.com
Stena Scandinavica in Kiel Harbour

Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators and the largest privately owned shipping company in the world. With services serving Denmark, England, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Sweden and Wales, Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere. Stena Line also owns the Swedish vessels of the otherwise German- and Danish-owned Scandlines.

History

Stena Line was founded in, and is still operated from, Gothenburg, Sweden, by Sten A. Olsson when he acquired Skagenlinjen between Gothenburg and Fredrikshavn, Denmark, in 1962.

In 1972, Stena Line was one of the first ferry operators in Europe to introduce a computer-based reservation system for the travel business area. In 1978, the freight business area also started operating a computer-based reservation system.

The first freight-only route started between Gothenburg in Sweden and Kiel in Germany. The ship was the MS Stena Transporter.

During the 1980s, Stena acquired three other ferry companies. In 1981, Sessan Line, Stena's biggest competitor on Sweden–Denmark routes, was acquired and incorporated into Stena Line.[1] This included Sessan's two large newbuilds, Kronprinsessan Victoria and Prinsessan Birgitta, which became the largest ships operated by Stena by that date. In 1983, Stena acquired Varberg-Grenå Linjen, and two years later also the right to that company's former name, Lion Ferry. Lion Ferry continued as a separate marketing company until 1997, when it was incorporated into Stena Line.[2] In 1989, Stena acquired yet another ferry company, Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (SMZ) (which at the time traded under the name Crown Line). SMZ's Hoek van Holland–Harwich route then became a part of Stena Line.[3]

Stena Line doubled in size in 1990 with the acquisition of Sealink British Ferries from Sea Containers Ltd. This first became Sealink Stena Line, then Stena Sealink Line and finally Stena Line (UK), which now operates all of Stena's ferry services between Great Britain and Ireland.

Stena Jutlandica in Gothenburg

In 1996, Stena Line introduced its 20,000 tonne HSS (High-speed Sea Service) vessels, which operated from Belfast to Stranraer, Holyhead to Dún Laoghaire and Hoek van Holland to Harwich. In addition to the three 1,500-passenger HSS vessels, Stena Line ordered two smaller 900-passenger HSS vessels to operate on the Gothenburg–Frederikshavn route. Due to the bankruptcy of the shipyard, only the first of these vessels was ever completed.

In 1998, Stena's operations from Dover and Newhaven were merged with P&O European Ferries to form P&O Stena Line, 40% of which was owned by Stena and 60% by P&O. In 2002, P&O acquired all of Stena's shares in the company, thus becoming the sole owner of P&O Stena Line, which soon changed its name to P&O Ferries.

In 2000, Stena Line purchased yet another Scandinavian ferry operator: Scandlines AB.

In November 2006, Stena ordered a pair of "super ferries" with a gross tonnage of 62,000 from Aker Yards, Germany for delivery in 2010, with an option for two more ships of the same design.[4] The new ferries will be amongst the largest in the world,[5] to be operated on Stena's North Sea route from Hoek van Holland to Harwich. The existing ships from the North Sea were to be moved to the Kiel - Gothenborg route, whereas the ships from Kiel would transfer to the Gdynia to Karlskrona route. The new ferries were launched in 2010, with the Stena Hollandica entering service on 16 May 2010, and the Stena Britannica planned to enter service in the autumn of 2010.[6]

The company also moved its Belfast Terminal from Albert Quay to the new VT4 during May 2008. This has reduced the length of the crossing to Stranraer by 10 minutes.

In July 2009, Stena Line announced that it had repurchased its former ship, Stena Parisien, from SeaFrance. The ship is now known as the Stena Navigator. It had a comprehensive refit. Following on from this, the ship was introduced on the Stranraer to Belfast route, alongside HSS Stena Voyager and Stena Caledonia.

Irish Sea expansion

In December 2010, Stena Line announced it had acquired the Northern Irish operations of DFDS Seaways. The sale includes the Belfast to Heysham & Birkenhead routes, two vessels from the Heysham route (Scotia Seaways & Hibernia Seaways) and two chartered vessels from the Birkenhead route (Mersey Seaways & Lagan Seaways).[7] The Fleetwood to Larne route ended on 24 December 2010.

Change on the Irish Sea

In 2012 Stena Line introduced the Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII to replace the Stena Navigator and Stena Caledonia. It was announced that the Stena Voyager would be removed from service in 2013. She has since been sold to Stena Recycling and sent for scrapping.

Routes

Stena Line route map

Irish Sea

North Sea

Scandinavia

Fleet

Further information: List of Stena Line vessels

Current ships

Name Built Tonnage Passengers Notes
Stena Adventurer 2003 43,532 1,500
Stena Alegra 1998 22,100 400 On charter to Interislander
Stena Baltica 2007 22,542 200 Chartered from Brittany Ferries
Stena Britannica 2010 63,039 1,200
Stena Carisma 1997 8,631 900
Stena Carrier 1998 21,089 12
Stena Danica 1983 15,899 2,300
Stena Europe 1981 24,828 1,400
Stena Explorer 1996 19,638 1,500
Stena Feronia 1997 21,856 340
Stena Freighter 1998 21,004 12
Stena Germanica 2001 51,837 [8] 1,300
Stena Hibernia 1996 13,017 12
Stena Hollandica 2010 63,039 1,200
Stena Jutlandica 1996 29,691 1,500
Stena Lagan 2005 26,500 980
Stena Mersey 2005 26,500 980
Stena Nautica 1986 11,763 663
Stena Nordica 2000 24,206 405
Stena Saga 1981 25,905 2,000
Stena Scandinavica 2003 55,050 900
Stena Scanrail 1973 7,504 12
Stena Scotia 1996 13,600 12
Stena Spirit 1988 39,193 1,700
Stena Superfast VII 2001 30,285 1,200 Chartered from Tallink
Stena Superfast VIII 2001 30,285 1,200 Chartered from Tallink
Stena Transit 2011 33,690 300
Stena Transporter 2011 33,690 300
Stena Vision 1981 39,178 1,700

Gallery

  • Stena Traveller at the Hook of Holland

  • Stena Traveller at the Hook of Holland

References

  1. ↑ "Sessan Linjen" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. Archived from the original on 1 Aug 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2007. 
  2. ↑ "Lion Ferry" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. Archived from the original on 29 Jul 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2007. 
  3. ↑ "Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. Archived from the original on 31 Jul 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2007. 
  4. ↑ "Press release 9. 11. 2006". Aker Yards. Retrieved 21 September 2007. 
  5. ↑ "Stena Line announces major investment in innovative ferries". Stena Line press release. Retrieved 21 September 2007. 
  6. ↑ "'Superferry' in maiden Harwich crossing". BBC News. 16 May 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2010. 
  7. ↑ "DFDS sells Irish Sea ferry routes". DFDS A/S. Retrieved December 2010. 
  8. ↑ "Stena Line - Our ships". Retrieved 12 August 2013. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stena Line.

See also

Current ferry operators of Denmark
International
Domestic
Current ferry operators of Scotland
International
Domestic
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