Original news was published on 24 August, 2017

Paceco's parent company Mitsui E&S will build three new STS cranes for Matson’s San Island Terminal in Honolulu and upgrade three existing cranes.

The order has been placed with Paceco Corporation by Matson Navigation Company, Inc. The cranes are part of a US$60M refurbishment Matson is undertaking to prepare its Sand Island Honolulu terminal for the arrival of four new vessels to the Matson fleet. The state of Hawaii is funding berth work to support the expansion as part of its own harbour modernisation plan.

“The new cranes will be built by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (MES), delivered next year and installed at Matson's Sand Island Terminal in Honolulu in early 2019.  They will have greater lifting capacity, height and reach than Matson's existing cranes, enabling full service of the company's new larger Hawaii vessels going into service over the next three years.  They are also more energy efficient, easier to maintain and will be equipped with fibre-optic cabling, enabling faster and more accurate communication of data used in Matson's container tracking system,” Matson said in a statement.

The new cranes will have a lifting capacity of 65 long tons, and replace three older, smaller units. Three other existing cranes will be upgraded to the same 11.5 kV electrical system with fibre-optic cable as the new cranes.

"Having just marked our 135th year in Hawaii, these latest investments in our fleet and terminal infrastructure underscore Matson's long-standing commitment to serving our island communities with the most reliable, efficient and environmentally friendly operations in Hawaii for the long-term," said Matt Cox, chairman and chief executive officer.  

The new vessels include two Aloha Class ships under construction at Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia scheduled for delivery in Q3 2018 and Q1 2019. With a capacity of, 3,600 TEU they will be Matson's largest ships and the largest containerships ever built in the U.S, the company noted. They will also be faster than any of Matson's current vessels, designed to operate at speeds in excess of 23 knots, helping ensure timely delivery of goods in Hawaii.

Matson has also ordered two Kanaloa Class vessels from General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego, scheduled for delivery at the end of 2019 and mid-year 2020. These are con-ro vessels built on a 3,500 TEU vessel platform (870 feet long and 115 feet wide), with enclosed garage space for up to 800 vehicles.  

All of the new vessels will have dual-fuel engines, able to operate on either conventional fuel oils or liquefied natural gas (LNG), with some adaptation for LNG required.

“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, a key objective of the company's infrastructure investments,” the company concluded. Seven older vessels that will no longer comply with environmental regulations in 2020 without substantial modification will be retired.

*NEWS SOURCE