US-based shipping company Matson informed that a subsidiary of Matson Navigation Company has signed contracts with Paceco Corporation for the purchase of three new 65 long-ton capacity cranes and modifications to upgrade three existing cranes at its Sand Island Terminal in Honolulu Harbor.
As explained, the investments are part of a broader USD 60 million terminal expansion and modernization program Matson is undertaking to prepare its operational hub in Hawaii for the arrival of four new ships the company has on order. The vessels have a combined value of approximately USD 930 million and their deliveries are expected to start next year.
The new cranes will be built by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (MES), delivered next year and installed at Matson’s Sand Island Terminal in Honolulu in early 2019.
They will have greater lifting capacity, height and reach than Matson’s existing cranes, enabling full service of the company’s new larger Hawaii vessels going into service over the next three years.
Matson said it will use the new cranes to replace three older and smaller cranes, while upgrading three other existing 40 long-ton cranes.
Matson’s investments in these terminal improvements are said to be a cornerstone of the State of Hawaii’s Harbor Modernization Plan, which includes the reinforcement of berths in Honolulu Harbor to support the expansion of Matson’s Sand Island Terminal.
The company has two Aloha Class ships under construction at Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia with deliveries scheduled for the third quarter of 2018 and first quarter of 2019, respectively. The 850-foot long, 3,600 TEU vessels will be Matson’s largest ships and the largest containerships ever built in the US, according to the company.
In addition, Matson has also ordered two Kanaloa Class vessels from General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego with deliveries scheduled for the end of 2019 and mid-year 2020. These ships will be combination container and roll-on/roll-off (Con-Ro) vessels built on a 3,500 TEU vessel platform 870 feet long and 115 feet wide, with enclosed garage space for up to 800 vehicles.
“Our new Aloha Class and Kanaloa Class ships are being built specifically to meet Hawaii’s freight needs into the future while reducing our environmental impact and improving our efficiency for decades to come,” Matt Cox, Chairman and CEO of Matson , commented.
All four new vessels will have a fuel efficient hull design, environmentally safe double hull fuel tanks, fresh water ballast systems and dual-fuel engines, meaning that they will be able to operate on either conventional fuel oils or liquefied natural gas (LNG).
With delivery of the Kanaloa Class ships, along with its two new Aloha Class ships, Matson will have completed the renewal of its Hawaii fleet, allowing it to retire seven older vessels that will no longer comply with environmental regulations in 2020 without substantial modification.