Crowley places LNG engine in first of two ConRo newbuilds

Crowley Maritime on Tuesday said it has set the main engine onto El Coquí, the first of two new LNG-powered ConRo ships that will be used in the ocean cargo trade between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico.

The engine was placed using a series of heavy lifts by 500-ton cranes in the shipyard of VT Halter Marine, a subsidiary of VT Systems, where El Coquí and sister ship, Taíno, are under construction, Crowley informed in a statement.

The engine has a total weight of 759 metric tons and measures 41 feet high, 41 feet in length, and 14.7 feet wide.

These Commitment Class, Jones Act ships are designed to travel at speeds up to 22 knots while maximizing the carriage of 53-foot, 102-inch-wide containers, Crowley said.

Cargo capacity will be approximately 2,400 TEUs, with additional space for nearly 400 vehicles in an enclosed Ro/Ro garage.