Matson adds second 3,600-TEU container vessel to fleet

Pacific ocean regional marine carrier Matson Logistics christened the second of two 3,600 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) vessels during a ceremony in Philadelphia earlier this month, the company said. The newly christened Kaimana Hila is the sister ship to the Daniel K. Inouye, which began service in November.

Matson said the ships are its largest, fastest vessels, servicing Hawaii from Matson's three West Coast terminals: Seattle, Oakland and Long Beach. Both ships were built by Philadelphia-based Philly Shipyard and are the largest containerships ever built in the United States, at 850 feet long and weighing more than 51,400 metric tons, the companies said. The ships cost a total $418 million, Matson said.

Both vessels also incorporate the latest environmentally friendly technology, including dual fuel engines that can be adapted to use liquefied natural gas (LNG), double hull fuel tanks, fresh water ballast systems, and a more fuel efficient hull design, Matson said.

The Kaimana Hila and the Daniel K. Inouye are the first of four new vessels that Matson will put into its Hawaii service over the next 18 months, Matson said.