Stena AB has agreed to acquire Color Line from Olav Nils Sunde and his family. The proposed transaction would bring Norway’s largest ferry operator into the Stena group, subject to regulatory approval.
Under the agreement, Stena AB’s wholly owned subsidiary Stena Rederi AB will acquire 100% of Color Group AS from ONS Invest II AS, the Sunde family’s holding company. Color Group owns Color Line and its subsidiaries.
Financial terms have not been disclosed. Completion is expected towards the end of the first quarter or during the second quarter of 2027.
Following completion, Stena intends Color Line to continue as a separate business with its own brand, local management in Norway and Norwegian-registered ships. Until regulatory approval is obtained, Color Line and Stena Line will continue operating as separate, independent companies.
Stena says the combination will bring together two complementary passenger and freight operators with strong Scandinavian maritime roots. It plans to support Color Line’s development through its expertise and resources in decarbonisation, technology, digitalisation, customer service and logistics.
Color Line operates five ships on four international routes linking Norway with Germany, Denmark and Sweden: Oslo–Kiel, Larvik–Hirtshals, Kristiansand–Hirtshals and Sandefjord–Strömstad.
In 2025, Color Line generated revenue exceeding NOK 6.7 billion and carried nearly 3.6 million passengers and 150,000 freight units. The company employs approximately 2,200 full-time equivalents across four countries.
The proposed acquisition follows two other additions to Stena’s ferry interests. In June 2024, Stena Line completed the acquisition of a 49% stake in Africa Morocco Link from Attica Group and assumed responsibility for its day-to-day operations.
Stena Line subsequently acquired Wasaline operator NLC Ferry, completing that transaction in February 2026. Wasaline retained its brand on the Umeå–Vaasa route, while AURORA BOTNIA remained owned by Kvarken Link, the company jointly owned by the two cities.
