Key Points
- The company has announced plans to buy the RoRo freight ship Somerset from Belgium-based shipping firm CLdN.
- Upon completion of the purchase, the vessel will be rechristened Stena Freighter.
- It will commence its operations on the Birkenhead (Liverpool)-Dublin route in early December 2026.
- The vessel will arrive late in October and will be renovated in drydock and repainted.
- The 21,005 GT ship is 183.4 meters long and has around 2,500 lane metres of freight space.
- This will free up the Stena Scotia and Stena Hibernia to operate on the Harwich-Rotterdam (Europoort) route.
- There will be a single ship operating the Birkenhead-Dublin route once again and there will be one sail per day in either direction.
- Stena Line expects that the suitability of the ship for double-level linkspan terminals can help achieve faster turnaround times, slower speeds and fewer emissions.
- Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.
Birkenhead (Liverpool standard) October 15, 2026 — Stena Line has confirmed an agreement to buy the RoRo vessel Somerset from CLdN, with the ship set to be renamed Stena Freighter and deployed on the company’s Birkenhead (Liverpool)–Dublin freight route from early December.
As reported by Shippax, the transaction remains subject to closing and transfer. The 21,005 GT vessel is expected to be delivered later in October, after which it will enter dry dock for refurbishment and repainting before entering commercial service.
MarineLink reported that the Somerset is a 1999-built, 183.4-metre RoRo with 2,504 lane metres of capacity, and that it would begin operating on the Dublin–Liverpool route in early December once the deal and vessel transfer are completed.
The purchase gives Stena Line outright ownership of a vessel it already knows well. According to Shippax, the Somerset was previously chartered by Stena Line for several years on the Harwich–Rotterdam service.
Why is Stena Line buying the Somerset?
Stena Line says the vessel offers the capacity and operational flexibility needed to consolidate its Irish Sea freight operation. Magnus Lander, Head of Network & Business Development at Stena Line, said: “We are very pleased with the agreement to acquire SOMERSET. It’s a vessel that fits well within our network and has the flexibility and capacity to operate on several of our routes.”
Lander added that Stena Line knows the ship from its previous service with the company and understands what it can deliver. He described the acquisition as “an excellent option with significant capacity for the Dublin–Liverpool route”.
As reported by Shippax, the move also allows Stena Line to strengthen its presence on Rotterdam–Harwich by deploying two of its own vessels on that route.
How will Birkenhead–Dublin operations change?
The Birkenhead–Dublin freight route will revert to a single, larger-capacity vessel after being operated with two ships for most of 2026. Stena Line plans to offer one daily departure from both Birkenhead and Dublin.
The Stena Freighter will replace the Stena Scotia and Stena Hibernia on the Irish Sea route. Those two vessels, each 13,017 GT with 1,692 lane metres of capacity, will then be redeployed to the Harwich–Rotterdam (Europoort) RoRo service.
Shippax reported that the route will continue as a two-ship operation under the Stena Scotia and Stena Hibernia. The change comes as the charters for the route’s current vessels, Mistral from Godby Shipping and Thuleland from Wallenius SOL, are due to expire, with both ships due to be returned to their owners at the end of the year.
Could the vessel reduce turnaround times and emissions?
Stena Line believes the Somerset’s ability to use the double-level linkspans at both Birkenhead and Dublin may be operationally significant. According to Shippax, this could cut turnaround times, allowing the vessel to sail at slower speeds and produce lower emissions.
The Birkenhead terminal currently handles two daily RoPax sailings from Belfast using the double-level linkspan, as well as a single freight sailing to Belfast operated by the Stena Forwarder.
The vessel was built by Flender Werft in Germany and is described by Shippax as one of three Stora box carriers in its series. It has a single two-stroke Sulzer 7RTA52U main engine producing 10,920 kW, located in the foreship, with a long shaftline driving a single controllable-pitch propeller.
What do other maritime outlets report?
MarineLink reported that Stena Line reached an agreement to acquire the Somerset from CLdN and that the vessel would be renamed Stena Freighter. It also confirmed that the ship had previously operated within Stena Line’s network as a chartered vessel.
Sweden’s Sjöfartstidningen reported that the deal is expected to be completed later in October, after which the vessel will undergo docking for renovation and repainting before entering the Dublin–Liverpool service under its new name. The outlet said the change would return the route to one vessel, but with greater cargo capacity.
Belgian logistics publication Flows reported that CLdN is the seller and that the Somerset had previously served Rotterdam–Harwich. It also stated that the vessel would take over from the Stena Scotia and Stena Hibernia on Dublin–Liverpool from December.
Dutch transport publication Transport Online reported that no financial details were disclosed and that the Somerset has capacity for rolling cargo including trucks and trailers.
Background of the development
Stena Line had been assessing replacement tonnage for the Birkenhead–Dublin route after deciding to move the Stena Scotia and Stena Hibernia to Harwich–Rotterdam in January. Shippax first reported on October 12 that the company was understood to have bought the Somerset from CLdN, before confirming the agreement on October 15.
The Somerset is not new to Stena Line operations. Shippax reported that it was chartered for the Harwich–Rotterdam service for several years, giving the operator direct experience of the ship’s performance and suitability.
The wider network change also reflects the expiry of existing charter arrangements on Harwich–Rotterdam. Shippax reported that the route’s current chartered vessels, Mistral and Thuleland, will be returned to Godby Shipping and Wallenius SOL respectively at the end of the year.
Prediction: What it means for freight customers
For hauliers, freight forwarders and businesses moving goods between north-west England and Ireland, the change is likely to mean a more consolidated daily service rather than a reduction in the route’s strategic importance. Stena Line’s stated plan is to maintain one daily departure in each direction, using a vessel with materially greater capacity than either Stena Scotia or Stena Hibernia.
If the double-level linkspan compatibility delivers the turnaround improvements described by Shippax, customers could benefit from more predictable port operations and potentially lower emissions per sailing. However, the practical effect on capacity, schedules and pricing will depend on the completed transfer, refurbishment timetable and the vessel’s actual performance once in service.
For Stena Line, ownership of the Stena Freighter reduces reliance on chartered tonnage on the Irish Sea route while enabling its own vessels to operate Rotterdam–Harwich. For ports and logistics operators around Birkenhead and Dublin, the development signals continued investment in a key UK–Ireland freight corridor, though the service will operate with one vessel rather than two.
