Crowley christens new LNG-fuelled vessel

The vessel is the first of its kind to be fuelled by LNG. It is a new component in the company’s supply chain transformation in the US mainland to Puerto Rico trade.

Tom Crowley, the Chairman and CEO, said: “It’s a culmination of many, many years of hard work, many, many years of transition for this company.

“It’s remarkable to see the transition. Whether it’s going from Ro/Ro to Lo/Lo, the LNG fuel, putting a car house on the back of a container ship, you name it, you go through the transition of what we did to build a ship and create a supply chain that nobody else can match. And it’s here today.”

El Coquí arrived in San Juan on its maiden voyage on 30 July 2018. It is 219.5 m (720 ft) long, 26 500 DWT, and capable of transporting up to 2400 TEUs at 22 knots. The vessel is capable of accommodating various different sizes and types of containers and refrigerated containers. Within the vessel is an enclosed, ventilated and weather-tight ro-ro deck that is capable of transporting cars and larger vehicles.

According to Crowley, the ship is the first of two vessels constructed as part of Crowley’s Commitment Class project. The sister ship, Taíno, is currently in its final phases of construction and testing at VT Halter Marine’s shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, with delivery expected later this year.

Alexander B. Gray, Special Assistant to the President for the Defense Industrial Base, said: “El Coquí represents not just the US$3 billion investment that Crowley has made in this industry in recent years, it really is the future of the maritime industry itself.

“The vessel is powered by LNG… it’s the cleanest fossil fuel available. It will serve as a shining example of the technological innovation that’s going to allow this industry to remain a global leader for decades to come.”

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/lng-shipping/23102018/crowley-christens-new-lng-fuelled-vessel/