Matson Orders Two ‘LNG-Capable’ ConRos for $511 Million

An artist’s rendering of Matson’s Kanaloa Class vessel. Courtesy General Dynamics NASSCO (PRNewsFoto/Matson, Inc.)

Matson, Inc has placed an order for two new combination container and roll-on/roll-off vessels to add to its Hawaii fleet at a contract price of $511 million.

Matson subsidiary Matson Navigation Company signed the contract with San Diego-based shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO. The Jones Act-compliant “ConRos” are scheduled for delivery at the end of 2019 and mid-year 2020.

Kanaloa class

Matson said the vessels, called the Kanaloa class, will be built on a 3,500 TEU platform, with enclosed garage space for up to 800 vehicles. They will measure 265 meters long, 34.9 meters wide, and have a deep draft of 11.5 meters.

The vessels will also feature a fuel efficient hull design, environmentally safe double hull fuel tanks, and fresh water ballast systems. They will also be equipped with dual fuel engines, which Matson says would be “capable” of operating on either conventional fuel oils or liquefied natural gas with “some adaptation for LNG.”

The two Kanaloa Class ships will replace three older diesel-powered vessels currently in active service. With the Kanaloa Class and Matson’s two new Aloha Class ships, Matson will have completed its Hawaiian fleet renewal and be able to retire its seven older steamship vessels that will no longer comply with environmental regulations.

“The larger capacity of the Aloha Class and Kanaloa Class vessels will allow Matson to return to an optimal nine-ship fleet deployment in Hawaii, increasing efficiency and lowering operating costs,” Matson said in its press release. “The Kanaloa Class vessels are expected to be more fuel efficient than the ships they will replace and will add rolling stock carrying capacity while lowering operating, repair and maintenance, and dry-docking costs.”

Matson said the Kanaloa name is in honor of the ocean deity revered in the native Hawaiian culture and it will name each after predecessor ships from Matson’s 134-year history. The first vessel will be named Lurline, the sixth Matson vessel to carry the name, while the second vessel will be its fifth named Matsonia.

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