Ferry company Stena Line is on track to boost its fleet by three before 2021, as construction continues in China on its new E-Flexer ships.

The three ships will be deployed on Stena Line’s Irish Sea routes and are expected to enter service during 2020 and 2021.

The first of the E-Flexer vessels is already half-completed. It will operate on the Dublin to Holyhead route in early 2020, with four daily sailings and an estimated crossing time of approximately 3.5 hours.

“The introduction of this ship, along with two new E-Flexer vessels on the Belfast to Liverpool route, is a real vote of confidence in the development of our Irish Sea operations,” said Ian Davies, Stena Line trade director for the south Irish Sea.

“It lays the foundation for continued future growth following a record year last year, in which we carried over 800,000 freight units on our routes to and from the island of Ireland.”

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E-Flexer vessels will be 215 metres long, bigger than the standard RoPax vessels. They will have a freight capacity of 3,100 lane metres and the space to carry 120 cars and 1,000 passengers.

Stena Line is the largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, with more than 230 weekly sailing options between Ireland and the UK. It also runs a direct service from Rosslare to Cherbourg with three return crossings a week.

Photo: Construction is underway in China on Stena Line's new E-Flexer ships