Stena Line extends contract with U.K. Port of Harwich

Stena Line extends contract with U.K. Port of Harwich    United Kingdom-based Stena Line, Europe’s largest ferry operator, has extended its contract with Harwich International Port until 2020, as it prepares to add freight capacity to its twice-daily route between the English port and Hoek of Holland in the Netherlands.
   To enable freight carrying capacity on the route, Stena is investing '70 million ($131.5 million) to lengthen two of its “superferries,”    the “Stena Hollandica” and “Stena Britannica,” to 240 meters (787 feet) from 188 meters (618 feet), which will make them the largest RoPax ships in the world. The lengthening work will begin early next year in Germany.
   “We strongly believe in this route as being an important gateway between the U.K. and the Continent, for both passengers and freight traffic,” said Pim de Lange, Stena Line’s managing director.
   “We are extremely pleased to see Stena’s ongoing commitment to the Harwich/Hoek of Holland route, and look forward to working with Stena for many years to come,” said Chris Lewis, chief executive officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Ltd., owners of Harwich International Port.