On the back of Attica charters, Stena RoRo has ordered two E-Flexer ropaxes from the Chinese shipyard CMI Jinling (Weihai) (see ICSI News, 28th June).
They will be delivered in 2027 to the Attica Group and will operate in the Adriatic and will be Stena RoRo’s 14th and 15th vessel in this series.
The two vessels will go on long-term charter to the Attica Group with a purchase option plus an option to build two more vessels.
Each E-Flexer is tailored to the operator’s needs, both commercially and technically. Optimised hull design, propellers and rudders, together with possibility of incorporating new environmentally friendly technology, help to ensure that they are at the forefront when it comes to sustainability, performance and cost effectiveness, Stena said.
The new vessels’ engines will be of the multi-fuel type and will be able to run on conventional marine fuel (HFO or MGO) or biodiesel. In addition, the engines will be methanol ready.
E-Flexer was designed to be up to future environmental requirements and, through its technical design, can meet both existing and future international requirements by a wide margin.
They will be designed with the class society notation ‘Battery power’, which means that in the future, the vessels will also be able to utilise batteries as a means of propulsion, partly or completely, depending on the battery development.
Stena RoRo currently has 15 confirmed orders for E-Flexer vessels, as well as two so-called ‘New Max’ ro-ro vessels, at CMI Jinling, Weihai shipyard. Of these, 10 ships have already been delivered.
Stena’s E-Flexer fleet:
- Stena Line: Stena Line network in the Irish Sea; delivery 2019.
- Stena Line: Stena Line network in the Irish Sea; delivery 2020.
- Brittany Ferries: Brittany Ferries network; delivery 2020.
Long charter agreement. - Stena Line: Stena Line network in the Irish Sea; delivery 2021.
- DFDS; DFDS network; delivery 2021. Long-term charter agreement.
- Brittany Ferries: Brittany Ferries network; delivery 2021.
Long-term charter agreement; LNG operation. - Stena Line; Stena Line network, delivery May, 2022 from the shipyard. Extended version.
- Stena Line; Stena Line network, delivery September, 2022 from the yard. Extended version.
- Brittany Ferries: Brittany Ferries network; delivery December, 2022. Long-term charter agreement; LNG operation.
- Marine Atlantic; Marine Atlantic network, delivery February, 2024. Long charter agreement; LNG operation with battery-hybrid installation.
- Brittany Ferries: Brittany Ferries network, delivery 2024.
Long charter agreement; LNG operation with battery-hybrid installation. - Brittany Ferries: Brittany Ferries network, delivery 2025.
Long charter agreement; LNG operation with battery-hybrid installation. - Corsica Linea, Corsica Linea network, delivery, 2026
LNG operation with battery-hybrid installation. - Attica Group, delivery April, 2027. Methanol ready, battery-hybrid installation.
- Attica Group, delivery August, 2027. Methanol ready, battery-hybrid installation.
E-Flexer Nos 14 and 15:
Length: 240 m
Draught: 6.4 m
Beam: 27.8 m
Capacity: 1,500 pax and 3,320 cargo meters freight
Passenger cabins: 256
Speed: 24 knots.
Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) advised Attica Holdings on the negotiation of bareboat charter documentation with Stena International for the two E-Flexers.
The two new vessels are the largest ropaxes ever ordered by a Greek shipping company.
WFW’s Athens Assets & Structured Finance team that advised Attica was led by Partner, Christina Economides, supported by Senior Associate, Haris Kazantzis.
Economides commented: “We are very happy to have assisted Attica on this landmark project. The successful completion of this transaction for Attica sets new standards for the Greek ferry industry.”
In another move, Attica Holdings has announced the completion of the sale of its Moroccan operation.
More specifically, the transfer of the 49% shareholding stake of Attica Group in Africa Morocco Links (AML) has been finalised, along with the sale of the vessels ‘Morocco Star’ and ‘Morocco Express 1’ (ex ‘Highspeed 3’).
The total transaction value amounted to €49 mill, with an estimated net profit of €24 mill, Attica said.
