Stena AB, the Swedish family-owned group behind Stena Line, said on 26 October 2026 that it had agreed to acquire Color Line, Norway's largest cruise and ferry operator, from the family of industrialist Olav Nils Sunde. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Why Stena AB (via Stena Rederi AB) is buying Color Group AS (Color Line)
Stena said it would support Color Line's development in areas including decarbonisation, technology, digitalisation, customer service and logistics. Color Line will continue as a separate, independent business and brand with local management in Norway and Norwegian-registered ships.
“This is a true milestone in Stena Line’s history, further strengthening our ability to be a reliable link between places, people and communities.”
Deal terms and financing
Stena Rederi AB, a wholly owned Stena AB subsidiary, will buy all the shares in Color Group AS, which owns 100% of Color Line and its subsidiaries, from ONS Invest II AS. The two companies will operate separately until completion, and sailings and bookings are unaffected.
Regulatory approvals and timing
The transaction is subject to regulatory approval, with completion expected towards the end of the first quarter of 2027 or during the second quarter of 2027.
Market context
Color Line operates five ships on four international routes and carried nearly 3.6 million passengers and 150,000 freight units to and from Norway in 2025. Stena Line runs about 40 ships on 19 routes in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, according to The Maritime Executive. Sunde became sole owner of Color Line in 1999, when it was delisted from the Oslo Stock Exchange.
