Stena Line intensifies investment in freight

Stena Line intensifies investment in freight Stena Line's freight operation, which had a stable performance in 1999, is becoming more important for the company. Recently the company announced an extended service between Northern Ireland and Scotland and in October, a new freight route will be opened between Holland and the UK. On the Karlskrona-Gdynia route the conditions for additional freight capacity are being analysed. The two new RoPax ferries being built in Spain are to be delivered according to plan, the first one in October this year and the second at the start of 2001. This means that the freight ferries in use today on the Hoek van Holland-Harwich route will be free for use elsewhere. "With the good economic climate comes a growth in trade. Stena Line wants to satisfy the growing transport demands of European industry by providing extended service," says Bo Severed, CEO at Stena Line. New freight route in growth area One step in this strategy is the opening of a new freight route between Hoek van Holland and Killingholme, near Immingham on the river Humber in the UK. Two of the available ferries will be operated on the new route, with a total capacity of 3000 lane metres. The growth in this region has been substantial over the last 10 years, and the number of freight units has grown by 8 % annually. Simon Ports & Logistics Ltd., a part of the Simon Group plc, a leading supplier of specialist industrial services, has therefore invested in a completely new RoRo port, the Humber Sea Terminal at Killingholme, to be used by Stena Line from October this year. Killingholme has excellent road access and Stena Line can use the existing port facilities in Hoek van Holland, without any new investment needed. The crossing time is approximately 12 hours, which means one daily departure each way, with enough time for loading. "The new route is a good complement to our existing route between Hoek van Holland and Harwich," says Pim de Lange, the Route Director. "Growth in the region is strong and the route is strategically located for an important part of the trade between the UK and the Continent." Additional freight capacity The Karlskrona-Gdynia route has shown substantial growth over the past few years, and the number of freight units has risen by nearly 50% since 1995. Growth is expected to continue, especially in the light of future Polish EU membership. Therefore the conditions for additional freight capacity on the route are being investigated. Göteborg 2 May 2000 Stena Line AB For further information please contact, Åsa Lindell Byström, Director of Communications, telephone + 46 (0) 31 85 81 80 or + 46 (0) 704 85 81 80 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/05/02/20000502BIT00630/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/05/02/20000502BIT00630/bit0002.pdf