On October 16, China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard held a naming ceremony for the STENA CONNECTA, another state-of-the-art multi-energy Ro-Ro vessel built for global ferry giant Stena Group. This milestone signifies an international shipping industry endorsement of this world-leading giant vessel.
At the ceremony, the two sides also signed a letter of intent for cooperation on two new vessels, injecting strong momentum into the development of the high-end shipbuilding industry cluster in Weihai Economic and Technological Development Zone.
It is reported that the newly named STENA CONNECTA serves as a globally recognized technological benchmark in the shipping industry. As part of Stena Group’s “Future-Ready” vessel series, it features integrated methanol fuel, battery power, shore power systems, and rotor sail auxiliary propulsion. This series of vessels is widely recognized within the industry as cutting-edge Ro-Ro vessels integrating multiple clean energy technologies. This delivery fully demonstrates that China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard has achieved mature and stable mass production capabilities for complex, high-end vessels.
Since March 2011, China Merchants Industry and Stena Group have successfully cooperated for 14 high-end vessels. The signing of this new project represents an upgrade built upon a decade of accumulated trust and shared vision. Both parties will join forces to develop new vessel types that will lead the next generation of shipping industry development, jointly setting new industry standards.
The Weihai Economic Development Zone has long prioritized the development of the shipbuilding and offshore equipment industries as its leading sectors. The completion of this second cutting-edge ro-ro vessel in the same series and the signing of this new partnership are vivid examples of the zone’s commitment to cultivating the marine economy and promoting high-end, green development. This demonstrates Weihai’s stable and reliable strength in the global high-end shipbuilding sector, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of the regional economy.