Matson and Hanwha Philly Shipyard have christened Makua, the first of three new Aloha Class containerships being built under a roughly $1 billion construction program to modernize the carrier’s Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express services.
The vessel was christened Oct. 10 at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, where Matson board member Jenai Wall broke a ceremonial bottle of champagne against the ship’s hull. Approximately 300 people attended the ceremony, including U.S. Maritime Administration Deputy Administrator Mark Johnson, shipyard workers, union leaders and company executives.
The three Jones Act-compliant containerships are being built to match the size and speed of Matson’s existing Aloha Class vessels, Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila, which were delivered by the same shipyard in 2018 and 2019, respectively. At the time, the two ships were the largest containerships ever constructed in the United States.
The 850-foot Aloha Class vessels have a capacity of 3,600 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) and a displacement of more than 51,400 metric tons. With top speeds approaching 24 knots, they are Matson’s fastest vessels, supporting the company’s Hawaii service and expedited cargo transportation between Asia and the U.S. West Coast.
Like their sisterships, the new vessels will feature dual-fuel engines designed to operate on conventional marine fuels or liquefied natural gas (LNG). They will also incorporate fuel-efficient hull designs, double-hull fuel tanks and freshwater ballast systems. Unlike the earlier vessels, which required modifications to operate on LNG, the new ships will be delivered LNG-ready.
Makua is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027, followed by the second vessel in the third quarter of 2027 and the third in the second quarter of 2028. The ships will replace three vessels currently operating in Matson’s Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express services.
“We look forward to putting Makua to work serving our customers early next year,” said Matt Cox, Matson’s chairman and chief executive officer. “We’re excited that adding three new Aloha Class ships to Matson’s fleet over the next 18 months will improve operating efficiencies and reliability, and increase capacity in our core Hawaii service, as well as our China-Long Beach Express service.”
Cox also noted that the construction program supports hundreds of shipyard jobs and is expected to provide more than 2,500 job opportunities for U.S. mariners over the lifespan of each vessel.
Matson has a longstanding relationship with the Philadelphia shipyard, which delivered four Jones Act containerships to the company between 2003 and 2006, in addition to the two earlier Aloha Class vessels.
“Our partnership spans generations of vessels and reflects a shared commitment to American shipbuilding and the U.S. maritime industry,” said David Kim, CEO of Hanwha Philly Shipyard. “We are grateful for Matson’s continued trust in our people, and incredibly proud of the skill and craftsmanship our workforce is bringing to Makua and the next generation of Aloha Class ships.”
Matson plans to name the remaining vessels Malama and Makena, continuing its tradition of using Hawaiian names for ships serving the islands. All three names previously belonged to freighters acquired by Matson in the 1920s that remained in service for approximately two decades.
In Hawaiian, Makua means parent, elder, ancestor or family; Malama means to care for or protect; and Makena means abundance.
