Stena RoRo last week took delivery of E-Flexer No. 11 – in a series of 15 vessels – from the Chinese shipyard CMI Jinling (Weihai). The ship is the Saint-Malo and is long-term chartered to the French shipping company Brittany Ferries. In February next year, the ship will enter the Portsmouth – Saint-Malo route, where she will replace the Bretagne, which has sailed on the route since 1987. This is the fourth of five ordered E-Flexer vessels that will be part of Brittany Ferries’ fleet.
The Saint-Malo is now on its way to Europe and is expected to arrive at its home port by the end of the year and enter service on February 12, 2025.
As with four of the five E-Flexer ships that Stena RoRo is delivering to Brittany Ferries, the vessel will be powered by multi-fuel engines as well as the market’s largest battery-hybrid package of a whopping 12 MWh. With the help of these batteries, the ship will be able to operate in and out of port with batteries only and even maneuver during docking and departure without the ship’s diesel engines being in operation.
This is a unique technical solution that produces significantly lower CO2 emissions.
The Saint-Malo is also equipped with a shore connection with an output of 8 MW for high-speed charging of the batteries, enabling a completely fossil-free stay when in port. With the installed battery capacity, the vessel can run at speeds of up to 17.5 knots on batteries alone.
The ship’s modern interior (designed by Figura Arkitekter AB) creates added value and with clear influences from the Brittany region. With over 380 passenger cabins in various categories, the Saint-Malo is the E-Flexer with the highest passenger cabin capacity.
The ship’s engines can be powered by marine diesel (MGO), liquefied natural gas (LNG) or biodiesel and biogas. In addition, the PTI/PTO system with the Battery Power function can be used for propulsion or maneuvering in port. The system is scalable, which means that in the future the Saint-Malo can operate entirely on batteries or on a combination of these different fuels.
The E-Flexer concept has been continuously developed in line with future environmental requirements and, through its technical design and degree of innovation, can fulfill and exceed both existing and future international requirements.
The E-Flexer series utilizes a basic concept with vessels larger than most existing RoPax ferries and is highly flexible. Each ship is tailored to customers’ needs, both commercially and technically. An optimized design of the hull, propellers and rudders together with opportunities to incorporate new environmentally friendly technology contribute to the E-Flexer vessels being at the absolute forefront in terms of sustainability, performance and cost and energy efficiency.
“It is with great satisfaction and pride that we’ve now taken delivery of the eleventh E-Flexer vessel in the series,” says Per Westling, CEO Stena RoRo AB. “Within the framework of the E-Flexer concept, there has been continuous technical development, and we can offer our customers very flexible and future-proof propulsion systems that by a margin meet both present and future environmental requirements. “The large battery hybrid system we installed on the Saint-Malo means that the ship can operate optimally, in steps with regulatory developments, or in accordance with the operator’s own policies.”
The Saint-Malo is being chartered to Brittany Ferries for 10 years with a purchase option after four years.
The total of five E-Flexer ships ordered by Brittany Ferries are renewing and modernizing the company’s current fleet of cargo and passenger ships. The first ferry, the Galicia was delivered in autumn of 2020, the second in November 2021, the third in December 2023. In October 2024, the Saint-Malo, which is the fourth vessel, was delivered, and in early January 2025, delivery of the fifthand final vessel is scheduled.
Stena RoRo has placed 15 orders for E-Flexer vessels with CMI Jinling, the Weihai shipyard, as well as two New Max RoRo vessels. Eleven vessels have now been delivered.
Specifications for Stena E-Flexer orders:
Background facts about E-Flexer No. 11 for Brittany Ferries:
Length: 194,7 m
Draught: 6,5 m
Breadth: 27,8 m
Capacity: 1290 passengers and 2514 cargo meters
Passenger cabins: 387 distributed over four decks
Speed: 23 knots (17.5 on batteries only)
Photos: Foton: CMJS Shipyard
For more information, please contact:
Per Westling, Managing Director, Stena RoRo AB
Tel: +46 31 855154; +46 704 85 51 54
Email: [email protected]
Since 1977, Stena RoRo has led the development of new marine RoRo, cargo and passenger concepts. We provide custom-built vessels, as well as standardized RoRo and RoPax vessels. The company leases about fifteen vessels to operators worldwide, both other Stena companies and third parties. Stena RoRo specializes above all in using its technical expertise for the design and production of new vessels, and the conversion and technical operation of existing vessels in order to deliver tailor-made transport solutions to its customers. We call this “Stenability”. Since 2013, we have had responsibility for the design and completion of Mercy Ships’ new hospital vessel the Global Mercy – the world’s largest civilian hospital ship. The ship was delivered in 2021.
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company and tour operator based in Roscoff, France. The company was founded by an agricultural cooperative in Breton for exporting vegetables to the UK. The first ferry voyage was from Roscoff to Plymoth on January 2, 1972, the day after the UK joined the EEC – the European Economic Community, the predecessor to the EU. The cargo consisted of artichokes and cauliflower. The company quickly expanded with more ships and routes when it became clear that the biggest market was British tourists who wanted to explore Brittany and later Normandy. Brittany Ferries presently operates 14 routes connecting France, Great Britain, Spain and Ireland. In a normal year, the company has sales of approximately 450 million Euros and transports approximately 2.5 million passengers and 205,000 freight units. The company is still largely owned by French farmers, supported by the regions of Brittany and Normandy, and prides itself on being the largest employer of seafarers in France.
