General Dynamics NASSCO has commenced construction of the second ship, Matsonia, in a series of two Kanaloa-class containerships for Matson Navigation Company.
Construction of the new ship will be carried out at NASSCO’s shipyard in San Diego, California, US. The shipyard is currently building the first vessel of the Kanaloa-class series ship, Lurline.
Upon completion, both the ships will be used to transport containers, automobiles and rolling stock between the West Coast of the US and Hawaii.
Both the combination container and roll-on / roll-off (Con-Ro) vessels will be powered by liquefied natural gas-capable main and auxiliary engines, which are designed to comply with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Tier III emission requirements.
The 870ft-long and 3,500 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) capacity vessels will also be developed to feature a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel system in future.
Matson Navigation Company president Ron Forest said: “Matson’s customers in the Hawaii trade rely on us for dependable delivery of their goods, and these new Kanaloa-class vessels designed specifically for serving Hawaii will ensure we meet the highest standards of efficiency and reliability.”
NASSCO is expected to complete the construction of Lurline by the fourth quarter of next year and is scheduled to deliver Matsonia by the second quarter of 2020.
The company has also partnered with DSEC to provide Matson with advanced ship design and shipbuilding technologies.
The partnership has so far developed a range of ships for five separate Jones Act owners.
