Matson reaches new milestones in vessel construction program

Matson Inc. has marked two new milestones in its fleet renewal programme with the start of hull assembly for the second of its three LNG-powered Aloha Class containerships and the beginning of construction work on the third vessel.

The developments took place at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania, where a ceremony was held to mark the dock mounting of the first grand block assembly for the second vessel, followed by the steel-cutting ceremony for the third ship.

The three Jones Act-compliant vessels represent an investment of approximately USD 1 billion and are being built for deployment in Matson’s Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express (CLX) services.

The new ships will match the size and speed of Matson’s existing Aloha Class vessels, Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila, which entered service in 2018 and 2019 as the largest containerships ever built in the United States.

Each vessel will have a carrying capacity of 3,600 TEU and a length of 854 feet. The ships are designed to operate at speeds exceeding 23 knots while incorporating energy-efficient technologies aimed at improving operational performance and reducing environmental impact.

Matson expects delivery of the first vessel in the first quarter of 2027, followed by the second in the third quarter of 2027 and the third in the second quarter of 2028.

The newbuildings will replace three vessels currently operating in the company’s Hawaii and CLX services.

Prior to the current project, Hanwha Philly Shipyard delivered six Jones Act containerships for Matson, including the first two Aloha Class vessels delivered in 2018 and 2019.

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