Stena Line remain tight-lipped over the deployment of Stena Superfast X, which joins their fleet early in 2015. Although an appearance on the Irish Sea service between Holyhead and Dublin has been rumoured for several months, neither Stena’s head office in Gothenburg nor Irish Sea management had made any announcement before the end of September.
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, say they have been contracted to provide a complete turnkey delivery of ro-ro cargo access equipment for the vessel, including the design and installation of bow doors, a bow ramp, a new watertight door and a stern ramp, and seem to be in no doubt that Stena Superfast X will be making an Irish Sea debut from Holyhead next January.
The vessel is presently running between Dover and Calais as Dieppe Seaways, and DFDS have confirmed that the 2002-built vessel will complete her charter in November before work starts by MacGregor, who previously handled preparations for the ship’s first English Channel service as SeaFrance Moliere in 2008.
The last of a four-ship series built for Superfast’s Baltic and North Sea operations by HDW at Kiel, she served Rostock-Hanko from February 2002 before moving to Rosyth-Zeebrugge.
