Matson Christens 2nd Aloha Class Unit at Philly Shipyard

US-based container carrier Matson christened the second Aloha Class containership in a ceremony at Philly Shipyard on March 9.

The new vessel, named Kaimana Hila, is the sister ship to Daniel K. Inouye, which was christened in June and went into service in November of 2018.

The two ships were built by Philly Shipyard at a total cost of USD 418 million, and are the first of four new vessels that Matson plans to deploy in its Hawaii service during the next 18 months.

“Daniel K. Inouye has performed well in its first four months of service, and we are excited to have Kaimana Hila joining it soon. These new vessels herald the beginning of a new era in our Hawaii service and will allow us to serve our customers better than ever for decades to come,” Matt Cox, Matson’s chairman and chief executive officer, said.

Featuring over 51,400 metric tons, the 850-foot long and 3,600 TEU capacity Kaimana Hila and Daniel K. Inouye are Matson’s largest ships and the largest containerships ever constructed in the U.S. They will transport cargo from Matson’s three West Coast terminals in Seattle, Oakland and Long Beach to Hawaii.

In addition, both Aloha Class vessels incorporate the latest environmentally friendly technology, including dual fuel engines that can be adapted to use LNG, double hull fuel tanks, fresh water ballast systems and a more fuel efficient hull design, the company explained.