(By Rich Piellisch, HHP Insight)
Crowley Receives First-Ever Tanker with Provision for LNG Tanks, Matson Is Building First Container Ship, Aker Philadelphia for Both
Crowley Maritime took delivery of Ohio, the first of four new Jones Act product tankers being built with provision for liquefied natural gas fuel tanks, from Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, and Matson reported that construction of its two new Aloha-class containerships, also to be LNG-ready on deliver, has commenced, also at Aker Philadelphia.
Matson is investing $418 million in two 850-foot ‘Aloha class’ LNG dual fuel container ships to be delivered in the third and fourth quarters of 2018.
“The delivery is momentous not only for Crowley, but also for the industry because it signifies the first time a product tanker has been constructed with consideration for the future use of LNG for propulsion,” Crowley said.
“These new ships are the future for Hawaii shipping and will bring a new level of efficiency and effectiveness to our service,” Matson president and CEO Matt Cox said in his company’s announcement.
Matson’s Largest
The 850-foot long, 3,600-TEU vessels “will be Matson’s largest ships and the largest Jones Act containerships ever constructed,” the company says, citing an aggregate price of $418 million.
“They will also be faster,” the company says, “designed to operate at speeds in excess of 23 knots, helping ensure timely delivery of goods in Hawaii. Though bigger, the ships are also designed to accommodate future needs by being able to navigate safely into some of Hawaii’s smaller ports.”
The two new Aloha-class ships are expected to be delivered in the third and fourth quarters of 2018. The first will be named after the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye.
Crowley Has Proposed LNG Bunker Vessels
Crowley’s new tankers are based on a Hyundai Mipo Dockyards design with “numerous fuel efficiency features, flexible cargo capability, and the latest regulatory requirements.” The Ohio is 600 feet long and is capable of carrying crude oil or refined petroleum products.
Crowley notes that its Seattle-based Jensen Maritime naval architecture and marine unit is providing construction management services for the new tankers via a new on-site office and personnel at the Philadelphia yard.
Crowley-Jensen recently publicized designs for LNG bunker barges suitable for fueling LNG-powered vessels (F&F, August 21).
Delivery of the Ohio is ‘momentous,’ says Crowley, ‘because it signifies the first time a product tanker has been constructed with consideration for the future use of LNG for propulsion.’