MacGREGOR's close relationship with Stena Line is extended by outfits of RoRo cargo/access transfer systems, elevators and cold stores for the first pair of 44,200gt RoPax ferries in its Stena Seamaster class, led into service by the new Stena Britannica

Stena Line introduced its new 44,200gt passenger and freight RoPax ferry Stena Britannica ferry on the Harwich-Hook of Holland route in February. The ship replaced a smaller predecessor of the same name which is itself less than two years old, and boosted freight capacity by 20 per cent and passenger capacity by 50 per cent on peak sailings. The new Stena Britannica (hull 1392) was built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea as the first ship in the Stena Seamaster class.

Stena Line is introducing sistership Stena Adventurer (hull 1393) between Holyhead and Dublin across the Irish Sea this summer, which will significantly increase the tourist and freight capacity on the route.

Stena Britannica can carry 900 passengers, and has 602 beds in 246 modern en-suite cabins. Its service speed of 22 knots allows it to make the crossing from the Essex port to the Hook in around 6 hours 15 minutes.

Stena Britannica features an impressive 3,400-lane-metres of freight capacity, 120 reefer points, and a drive-through vehicle arrangement to allow fast loading and discharging. A comprehensive RoRo cargo/access transfer system from MacGREGOR is smoothing the turnround efficiency, and comprises:

* bow door

* bow ramp/door

* stern ramp/door

* hoistable tilting ramp

* hoistable ramp (end-hinged)

* ramp covers, aft and forward (side-hinged)

* hoistable ramp

* hoistable car deck (Corex structure)

* hoistable deck access ramp (Corex structure)

* pilot and bunker doors.

Passenger ship systems

MacGREGOR's expertise in passenger ship systems was also tapped for Stena Britannica. The elevator package includes two passenger elevators, each with capacity for 10 people or a maximum of 950kg and arranged to serve eight decks with an operating speed of 1m/sec. A service elevator operates at the same speed to cover seven decks, but with an increased capacity of 975kg; and a dumb waiter has a capacity of 500kg.

A cold stores package embraces nine rooms with a total floor area approaching 100m2: one cold room with a temperature down to -25ºC and eight chilled rooms with temperatures ranging from +2ºC to +10ºC.

Stena Britannica is a larger version of the first two Seapacer-class vessels, Finneagle and Finnclipper, built in Spain by IZAR's Puerto Real yard, for which MacGREGOR also supplied RoRo access/transfer systems, elevators and cold stores outfits.