Aker Philadelphia Shipyard begins construction of containerships

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard ASA has announced that its subsidiary company, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard Inc. (APSI), has started constructing two 3600 TEU ‘Aloha Class’ containerships for Matson Navigation Co. Inc.

The vessels, which were signed for in 2013 for US$418 million, are expected to be complete by late 2018, and will be the largest in the Matson fleet (260 m long), serving in the route from the West Coast of the US to Hawaii, US. They will have dual-fuel engines and will be able to be adapted to use LNG. The ships will be able to operate at over 23 knots.

Steinar Nerbovik, the President and CEO of APSI, said: “We are excited to partner with Matson again and return to our construction roots building containerships. It’s an exciting time to be a shipbuilder as we embark on simultaneously building containerships and product tankers, fulfilling our commitments to customers and shareholders.”

Edited from various sources by David Rowlands

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/lng-shipping/02102015/aker-philadelphia-shipyard-begins-construction-of-containerships-1395/