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Stena Line lays keel for first Belfast-Heysham ship

[ July 1, 2024   //   ]

Stena Line has laid the keel for the Stena Futura, the first of its ‘NewMax’ Belfast-Heysham vessels, due to go into service in autumn 2025.

The ceremony for the first of the two hybrid vessels took place in China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in WeiHai, China on 28 June.

The hybrid vessels are being built to run on methanol and will significantly enhance freight capacity on the Belfast-Heysham route and will include built-in technologies to take advantage of battery propulsion and shore power.

The second of the two NewMax vessels is due to go into service in early 2026. 

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