Crowley Maritime has received a combination container / roll on-roll off (ConRo) ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) from shipbuilder VT Halter Marine.
The new El Coquí vessel is the first of two Commitment class, LNG-powered ConRo ships currently under construction for Crowley’s shipping and logistics services between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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The 26,500dwt vessel will be operated by Crowley’s global ship management group and is scheduled to make its first voyage to San Juan later this month from its dedicated US-based port at Jacksonville (JAXPORT).
Developed specifically for the Puerto Rico trade, El Coquí is designed to carry up to 2,400 twenty-foot-equivalent container units (TEUs) of cargo at a cruising speed of 22k.
The 219.5m-long vessel is also designed to accommodate various container sizes and types, including 53ft x 102in-wide, high-capacity containers, up to 300 refrigerated containers, as well as around 400 cars and larger vehicles in the enclosed, ventilated and weather-tight Ro/Ro decks.
Use of LNG is also expected to help El Coquí reduce emissions, including a complete reduction in sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM), a 92% reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx), and more than 35% of carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction per container compared with ships running on current fossil fuels.
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By GlobalDataThe vessel will work in partnership with Eagle LNG Partners to conduct its bunkering activities from a shoreside fuel depot at JAXPORT.
Crowley Maritime chairman and CEO Tom Crowley said: “This delivery represents another milestone in our unwavering commitment to Puerto Rico and the Jones Act.
“We have dedicated significant time, effort and more than $550m, which includes these new ships, to transform our Puerto Rico shipping and logistics services to world-class standards.”
The sister ship of El Coquí, Taino, is also being built at VT Halter Marine’s shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, US. Taino is slated to enter service later this year.
