The all-new Stena Ebba was in the spotlight during a well-attended naming ceremony on 11 January 2023 in Karlskrona, marking the launch of Stena Line’s second E-Flexer ferry on the Karlskrona-Gdynia route.
At the invitation of the shipowner, guests from Poland also attended the event, arriving in Karlskrona on board the ferry from Gdynia. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Port of Gdynia Authority and many shipping, forwarding and logistics companies cooperating with the shipowner and maritime journalists.
From Stena Line’s side, those present included: Dan Sten Olsson, CEO of Stena AB Group and owner of Stena Line, Niclas Mårtensson, Managing Director of Stena Line Group and Marek Kiersnowski, Director of Stena Line Poland Ltd and Director of the Gdynia-Karlskrona line. Due to difficult weather conditions – rain and gusty winds – the christening ceremony was conducted inside the ferry, on the car deck.
– We love what we do, we love to develop it. Many people have put their efforts into building this ship, and that’s why today’s ceremony is so important,” said Dan Sten Olsson, CEO of Stena AB Group and owner of Stena Line.
The vessel’s godmother Ulrica Messing, the governor of the Blekinge region in Sweden, traditionally smashed a bottle of champagne against the ship. The event follows the introduction of the sister-vessel Stena Estelle in September 2022. With the two new vessels launched on the route, the relations between Sweden and Poland continued to grow.
– The addition of our new modern Stena Ebba ferry in the South Baltic Sea is Stena Line’s response to customer demand in a dynamic economic area that continues to grow”, says Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line and adds: – We have operated this ferry route for more than 25 years, and with our new E-Flexer ferries, we will enable our partners to expand their business through enhanced access to European markets and supply chains.
Stena Ebba is one of the Baltic Sea’s largest ferries in regular operations. She is 240 metres long, offers space for 1,200 people and can accommodate up to 200 trucks. Its 3,600 lane metres capacity has increased with no less than a 60 per cent boost versus the previous vessel on the route.
This new vessel recently arrived on the Gdynia-Karlskrona route directly from the shipyard. The ferry is also energy-efficient thanks to its optimised design and also more sustainable, not least by the possibility of using shore power during port calls, which reduces exhaust emissions. The interior has been designed in a Scandinavian style with panoramic windows, which for sure will appeal to passengers.
– Today, with the inauguration of the Stena Ebba on the Gdynia-Karlskrona route, as well as the earlier introduction of its sister ship Stena Estelle, we are beginning a new phase in the development of our region. We are pleased to be able to offer our customers the most modern vessels in this market. The modernisation of our fleet will enable a significant capacity increase, which is important not only for our customers and us but also for the entire region and the countries we connect”, said Marek Kiersnowski, Trade Director Baltic Sea South at Stena Line.
Over the past year, Stena Line has done significant investments to modernise the Gdynia-Karlskrona ferry connection. In June 2022, operations were transferred to the new ferry terminal in Gdynia, which allows the berthing of 240 m vessels and offers the possibility of developing an intermodal solution, thanks to its proximity to railway tracks. In September, the new vessel Stena Estelle was introduced, now followed by Stena Ebba.
Located on the other side of the Baltic Sea, the Karlskrona ferry terminal is not lagging behind. During Stena Line’s 25 years of operating the ferry route to Poland, the port has expanded with a modern terminal catering to both growing demands from passengers and larger freight volumes.
The master of the Stena Ebba ferry is Adam Kędziora, a captain with many years of experience at sea who has been with Stena Line for almost 30 years. He previously commanded the ferry Stena Spirit.
– Commanding a modern ship like the Stena Ebba is, on the one hand, a big call and, on the other, a matter of getting used to the vessel’s new possibilities. Compared to the Stena Spirit, the Stena Ebba can take almost twice as many trucks, sails one hour shorter, and burns about 5 tonnes less fuel per trip on the Gdynia – Karlskrona line. This already shows the ferry’s capabilities,” says Captain Adam Kędziora.
As the captain adds, although the ship was built in China, the technology is almost entirely Western, from the main engines and generating sets to the steering.
The ferry was built in China, but Remontowa Shiprepair Yard in Poland adapted her to the requirements of the Baltic route it serves. The Polish shipyard previously carried out a similar scope on the Stena Estelle ferry.
source: PortalMorski.pl, Stena Line
Photos: Stena Line
