Philly Shipyard began cutting steel Sept. 30 for the first of three Aloha class LNG-fueled containerships, to be built for Matson Navigation Company Inc., Honolulu, under a $1 billion contract.
Representatives from Philly Shipyard and Matson gathered for short remarks before Regis Burkhardt, Matson Site Team Manager, pushed the button to officially begin production, using the shipyard’s state-of-ther-art plasma cutter.
“Today we celebrate not only the beginning of production, but also the return of Matson to Philly Shipyard for our third project together,” said Steinar Nerbovik, Philly Shipyard’s president and CEO. “We are thrilled to build these next vessels which are expected to help Matson achieve its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions goal, an initiative well-aligned with our commitment to people and planet.”
The contract for the 854’, 3,600 TEU vessels was originally signed in 2022, and deliveries are expected in 2026 and 2027, according to the companies. Philly Shipyard previously partnered with Matson to deliver four containerships between 2003 and 2006 and two more containerships, also known as the Aloha Class, in 2018 and 2019.
The three next Aloha vessels will match the length of the two existing Aloha Class ships, currently the largest Jones Act containerships ever constructed. The 3,600 vessels are capable of carrying a variety of container sizes and operating at speeds in excess of 23 knots.
The ships will operate on either conventional marine fuels or liquefied natural gas (LNG) and will incorporate other “green ship technology”, supporting Matson’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Our existing Aloha Class ships are among the fastest, most efficient vessels in the Matson fleet,” said Matt Cox, Matson’s chairman and CEO. “And like their sisterships, these three new vessels will help Matson achieve its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal while also providing additional capacity and speed benefitting our Hawaii service as well as the CLX.”
The contract award, at time of signing, further bolstered Philly Shipyard’s order backlog to nine vessels. The shipyard’s order book now includes seven vessels, including three National Security Multi-Mission Vessels for U.S. maritime academies. The first two NSMVs have been delivered, with the NSMV II Patriot State christened Sept. 9. Phily Shipyard is also working on a Subsea Rock Installation Vessel (SRIV) for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, LLC now under construction.
