Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica

Low friction

Twin sister ferries Stena Hollandica and Stena Britannica made calls at Damen Shiprepair Rotterdam recently. The two vessels, which operate the nearby route between Harwich, UK, and the Hook of Holland, were in dock for just 16 days between 1 January – 24 January and 25 January – 10 February, respectively.

Amongst the work that the two underwent at DSR was a repainting scope. For this, the first step was the hydro-blasting of the hull. Removing the old paint with high pressure water in this way is a sustainable alternative to grit or sand blasting. It also adds efficiency and was one of the reasons that the projects could be turned out around in such a short timeframe.

Following this, the vessels were repainted with sustainable coatings. In the case of Stena Hollandica, this was X-GIT Low Friction. Produced by GIT Coatings, a specialist in graphene-based marine coatings for the reduction of fuel consumption and emissions.

With a keen focus on sustainability, X-GIT Low Friction is a hard foul release hull coating containing no biocides, silicon oils, copper or other toxic components. The coating prevents the development of marine growth on the vessel’s hull, maintaining the hydrodynamic performance and reducing the need for cleaning to a minimum over the ten-year period for which X-GIT low friction typically lasts.

The resultant reduction in resistance in the water, ensures the lowering of fuel consumption – and resultant emissions – by between 5 and 7%.

Stena Britannica was repainted using silicon. Again, in addition to reducing friction in the water, this contains no biocides.

Klaas Kuper, Sales Manager at Damen Shiprepair & Conversion said, “At Damen we are working hard to achieve our goal to be the most sustainable maritime solutions provider. We’re leaving no stone unturned as we look to increase the sustainability throughout their lifecycles of the vessels we build and maintain. Repainting vessels with environmentally focused coatings represents an excellent, straightforward and cost-efficient way in which we can maintain the efficiency of a vessel for the years ahead, saving its owners money and helping to preserve the marine environment for future generations.”

Other work on the vessels involved modifications to the passenger decks. This included redesigning the common areas to create additional space and facilitating more than 100 additional seats.

Additionally, the family area was redeveloped, enabling parents to closely supervise their children, who now enjoy access to a wide range of entertainment, from Playstations to drawing tables.

The casino has been removed and the number of slot machines reduced, based on passenger feedback, and the buffet has been replaced by a plate service restaurant to enhance the dining experience on board. 

Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica, launched in 2009 and 2010, respectively by Germany’s Wadan Yards, were designed specifically for their route and are the largest such vessels of their type in existence. The Ropax vessels are able to transport up to 1,200 passengers and 230 vehicles.

The vessels feature a high level of on-board comfort and offer guests access to wide range of amenities including bars, restaurants, cabins, shopping and entertainment. Stena is a Swedish company operating in various sectors including shipping, ferry services, offshore drilling, property, finance and recycling.

As a ferry operator, the company is one of the world’s largest with services in Scandinavia, the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Stena also owns and operates a fleet of tankers, ro-ro vessels, and drill ships. The company is committed to sustainability and innovation and has invested in projects such as methanol-powered ships, battery hybrid ferries, and low friction hull coatings such as seen in this project.