The world’s second LNG-powered containership was launched Saturday at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego.
The Perla del Caribe is the second of two Marlin-class containerships built at NASSCO for Jones Act shipping company TOTE Maritime.
The use of LNG fuel make the vessels among the most environmentally-friendly containerships in the world, reducing particulate matter by 98 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 72 percent.
The Perla del Caribe was christened and then launched Saturday night in a large ceremony open to the public. The ship’s sponsor, Ms. Emma Engle, a third-generation shareholder of Saltchuk, TOTE’s parent company, christened the ship with a traditional champagne bottle break over the ship’s hull. Alcinda Buirds, a 32-year NASSCO employee, then pulled the trigger to release the ship into the San Diego Bay.
“To NASSCO shipbuilders, a launch signals the near completion of the construction of a ship; it’s when the ship enters the ocean for the very first time. It’s a moment of pride for the thousands of men and women who built the ship – piece by piece, block by block. For the Perla del Caribe, it’s no different, and when the ship is delivered, we will be very proud to say, ‘We Built That,’” said Kevin Graney, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics NASSCO.
As part of a two-ship contract signed in December 2012 with TOTE, the 764-foot long Marlin class containerships will be the largest dry cargo ships powered by LNG, and the world’s first containerships to use the fuel.
Upon delivery of the first vessel, Isla Bella, in late-2015, the Jones Act-qualified ships will operate between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Perla del Caribe is due for delivery in Q1 2016.
Over the past decade, NASSCO has delivered eleven commercial ships and has orders for ten commercial ships, including the two Marlin Class containerships for TOTE. During this same decade, NASSCO has delivered 17 ships to the U.S. Navy, including notable newbuilds such as the new mobile landing platforms (MLPs).
For its commercial work, NASSCO partners with South Korean shipbuilding power, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), for access to state-of-the-art ship design and shipbuilding technologies. The Marlin-class is based on proven containership-design standards and include DSME’s patented LNG fuel-gas system, a single MAN B&W ME-GI dual-fuel gas-powered engine with two 900 cubic meter stern-mounted cryogenic fuel tanks.
The vessels will operate under charter agreements with Sea Star Line LLC, an operating company of TOTE Maritime.
OPEC+ agreed on Wednesday to establish a mechanism for setting baselines for its 2027 oil production, while OPEC+ sources said that separate talks on Saturday could agree a further accelerated oil output hike for July.
The Philippines is open to any additional agreements with Beijing that can help maintain peace in the South China Sea, its top diplomat said, amid unabated confrontations between them over disputed features.
Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. is seeking help from the Japanese government after a surprise decision by the European Union to sanction three of its liquefied natural gas tankers linked to a Russian project.
May 27, 2025
Total Views: 1048
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 108,986 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 108,986 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.