Matson, Inc. marked two milestones in its fleet renewal program with the beginning of hull assembly on the second of three new LNG powered “Aloha Class” containerships designed for its Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express (CLX) services, and the start of construction on its third new vessel at Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Inc. (HSPI) in Pennsylvania.
A small shipyard ceremony to mark the dock mounting of the first grand block assembly of the second new vessel was followed by the cutting of steel plates to initiate work to build the third vessel.
The three new Jones Act-compliant vessels, representing an investment of approximately $1 billion, will match the size and speed of Matson’s two existing Aloha Class ships, Daniel K. Inouye, and Kaimana Hila, which entered service in 2018 and 2019, respectively, as the largest containerships ever constructed in the U.S.
Matson expects to receive the first new vessel in the first quarter of 2027 with subsequent deliveries in the third quarter of 2027 and second quarter of 2028, respectively.
With a carrying capacity of 3,600 TEU,* the 854-foot Aloha Class vessels are designed to operate at speeds in excess of 23 knots in support of Matson’s service hallmark – fast and reliable delivery of goods, while incorporating the latest energy-efficient technologies to enhance operational efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
The three new Aloha Class ships will replace three vessels currently deployed in Matson’s Hawaii and CLX services.
HPSI is a leading U.S. commercial shipyard constructing vessels for operation in the domestic Jones Act trade lanes. Prior to Matson’s current Aloha L Class project, the shipyard delivered four Jones Act containerships for Matson between 2003 and 2006, and two additional containerships in 2018 and 2019, which were the first Aloha Class vessels.
* TEU = Twenty-foot Equivalent Units, the standard unit of measurement for container capacity