Stena Line is one of the largest ferry companies in Europe and connects important ports in nine countries. With a total of 35 ferries, Stena Line offers passenger and freight connections on 17 routes. Stena Line AB is a subsidiary of the Swedish parent company Stena AB, based in Gothenburg.
The beginnings of the Stena Line shipping company go back to Sten Allan Olsson (1916-2013), who founded the company Sten A Olssons Metallprodukter in 1939. In 1946, he acquired the first ferry and entered the shipping business. The actual Stena Line was founded in 1962 with the takeover of the Skagenlinjen from Gothenburg to Skagen. In the following years, the shipping company expanded continuously and opened further routes, including the Kiel-Gothenburg route in 1967.
In the mid-1990s, Stena Line began using high-speed ferries and further expanded its freight business. In 2016, four E-Flexer class ships were ordered, of which the Stena Estrid will enter service in early 2020.
Stena Line's most important routes include the connections between the Netherlands and the UK, on the Irish Sea and on the Baltic Sea between Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland and Latvia. The shipping company operates a total of 35 ferries, including high-speed catamarans such as the Stena Explorer.
An important Stena Line ship is the Stena Estrid, the first ship in the E-Flexer class, which will operate between Holyhead and Dublin in the Irish Sea from the beginning of 2020. The E-Flexer class is characterized by its environmentally friendly design and high energy efficiency.