Honolulu-headquartered shipping line Matson has added the first of four 3,600 teu containerships that will join its Hawaiian service over the next two years.
All four new vessels feature fuel efficient hull design, dual-fuel engines that can be adapted to use LNG, environmentally safe double-hull fuel tanks and fresh water ballast systems.
The first ship, named Daniel K. Inouye, is the largest containership built in the USA, said Matson. Its arrival marks the beginning of a nearly USD1 billion investment by Matson in its Hawaiian services, which also includes a terminal expansion and modernisation project at its Sand Island facility in Honolulu.
Matson specialises in serving Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Micronesia and islands in the South Pacific. In addition to containerised services the company provides oversize cargo deliveries.
