Matson and Hanwha Philly mark an Aloha class construction milestone

Photo: Matson

Hanwha Philly Shipyard and Matson Inc. (NYSE: MATX) yesterdaymarked an important milestone in the construction of the first of the three new Aloha class containerships the yard is to deliver to Matson in 2027 and 2028. Matson plans to deploy the new vessels, which were ordered in November 2022, in its Hawaii, Guam, and China-Long Beach Express (CLX) services.

During the event, the first engine room section of the vessel — weighing 420 tonnes — was lowered into the dry dock, marking the official start of hull assembly.

The dock mounting ceremony, which marks the lowering of the first “grand block” segment of a new vessel’s hull into the construction dry dock, was attended by a team of Matson executives led by Capt. Jack Sullivan, senior vice president of vessel operations & engineering, and Archibald Morgan, vice president of new construction and marine engineering at Matson, along with Hanwha Philly Shipyards representatives David Kim, CEO, and John Bond, project director and nsmv program manager.

In keeping with maritime tradition, senior executives from both companies placed ceremonial coins beneath the section to invoke good fortune and safe passage for the ship.

“These new ships are just the latest Jones Act vessels Matson has built with Philly Shipyard over the past 22 years, supporting 1,500 jobs for skilled American workers and providing additional opportunities for American mariners,” said Matt Cox, chairman and CEO of Matson.

“Our existing Aloha class ships are among the fastest, most efficient vessels in the Matson fleet,” added Cox. “These new vessels will expand Matson’s Jones Act fleet and enhance our service capabilities in the Asia-U.S. trade lane, while providing additional capacity and speed benefitting customers of our Hawaii and Guam services.”

“Today’s keel laying marks more than the beginning of another great ship — it symbolizes the strength of our ongoing partnership with Matson and our shared commitment to American shipbuilding,” said David Kim, Hanwha Philly Shipyard CEO. “We’re honored that Matson has entrusted us with three series of ships, and we remain committed to excellence with every block.”

The 854-foot Aloha class ships will each have a carrying capacity of 3,600 TEU and are designed to operate at speeds exceeding 23 knots, supporting Matson’s reputation for fast, reliable delivery across its Hawaii, Guam, and CSX design and dual-fuel engines that will allow operation on liquefied natural gas (LNG) from delivery.

The three new Aloha class ships will replace three vessels currently deployed in Matson’s Hawaii, Guam, and CLX trade lanes. The new vessels also feature a more fuel-efficient hull design and dual-fuel engines that will allow operation on liquefied natural gas (LNG) from delivery.

Founded in 1882 as a Hawaii-focused business, Matson has a long tradition of giving Hawaiian names to its vessels, and also reusing vessel names from the early 20th century. The company plans to name the new Aloha class containerships Makua, Malama, and Makena, names originally used for three freighters in the WWI era. Makua is a Hawaiian word meaning parent, elder, ancestor, or family.