86 Photo: Stena Line INTERVIEW Bigger batteries and smaller ships As Stena RoRo prepares to celebrate 10 years of its innovative E-Flexer platform, Michele Witthaus asks CEO Per Westling what’s next for the company Established as the trading arm of the Stena Shipping group, Stena RoRo provides commercial services such as chartering and sale and purchase of ferries and ro-ro ships, as well as marine technology solutions including newbuilding and conversion projects. One of the most successful concepts Stena RoRo has presided over in the last decade is the E-Flexer RoPax platform. Popular with a wide range of operators, including Brittany Ferries, DFDS Seaways and Marine Atlantic, and with ships on order for Corsica Linea and Attica Group, this adaptable platform has found a comfortable niche in the market. There is no single reason for E-Flexer’s continuing popularity, says Per Westling, Stena RoRo’s CEO. “I think it is a combination of a number of things. The concept is a flexible platform with a hull form that allows vessels to be significantly more efficient than the older ferries. For us, the key thing is that we enable our clients to design the ferry the way they like it, so they can fill the hull with whatever fits their purposes, both commercially and technically.” The 10 years since Stena RoRo took its first E-Flexer order have seen rapid changes taking place in the newbuild market, especially in green and environmental technology. For Stena RoRo, the most significant developments have occurred in its development of battery hybrid technology. In recent years, the company has focused on delivering optional additional battery capacity to its E-Flexer ships. Stena Estrid was the first E-Flexer to be built and began operating on the Irish Sea between Holyhead, Wales, and Dublin, Ireland, in January 2020
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