Matson’s new container/ro-ro ship is biggest ever built in US

Lurline will make its maiden voyage to Hawaii next month, departing Oakland and Long Beach on Jan. 9 and 11, respectively, and arriving in Honolulu on Jan. 15.

Lurline is 870 feet long, 114 feet wide (beam), with a deep draft of 38 feet. It is now Matson’s largest ship. It is also one of Matson’s fastest vessels, with a top speed of 23 knots, which Matson said will help ensure on-time deliveries in Hawaii.

The two new ships are each built on what the company says is a “3,500 TEU vessel platform,” but part of that capacity is taken up by an enclosed garage with room for approximately 500 vehicles, plus rolling stock and breakbulk cargo.

The ships also feature a fuel-efficient hull design, environmentally safe double hull fuel tanks, fresh water ballast systems and the first Tier 3 dual fuel engines to be deployed in container ships serving West Coast ports.

Both new vessels will enter service fully compliant with new International Maritime Organization (IMO) emission regulations going into effect Jan. 1, 2020. Under the latest IMO requirements for engine manufacturers, Tier 3 engines reduce the levels of particulate emissions by 40% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 20%, as compared to Tier 2 standards.

Brad Dechter, the president of the forwarder and NVOCC DHX-Dependable Hawaii Express, said the new ships will make Matson more competitive for roll-on, roll-off cargo and outsize cargo that now moves on the ships of Pasha Hawaii, Matson’s principal competitor to Hawaii.

Pasha moves both container and roll-on, roll-off cargo using a fleet that includes container ships, a con-ro and a pure roll-on, roll-off vessel. Pasha has two new con-ro ships under construction at the Keppel AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas.

In an update provided to American Shipper, George Pasha IV, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Pasha Group, said the company expects delivery in 2020 of the first new con-ro Keppel AmFELS is building for Pasha Hawaii, which is named M/V George III after his father. Its sister ship, M/V Janet Marie, is scheduled for delivery in 2021.

“Construction on George III is progressing on schedule, with outstanding quality. Meanwhile, we continue to invest in our existing fleet, which is performing well on behalf of Pasha and for our customers,” he said. “Pasha Hawaii had a very successful 2019, in terms of delivering on our service promises, as well as financially. Looking forward to another great year in 2020”