Aker wins US$418m containership order

Aker says the 850ft long vessels with the largest Jones Act containerships ever constructed and will be used in Matson’s service from the US west coast to Hawaii.

They will be capable of carrying a range of container sizes and of operating at speeds in excess of 23 knots. They will feature dual-fuel engines and will be ready for conversion to LNG propulsion.

Kristian Rokke, president and CEO, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, said: “The winning of this order provides the shipyard significant backlog and valuable visibility out 2018, which is positive for our shareholders and other stakeholders as we expect to use this opportunity to further strengthen our competitive position.”

The shipyard previously delivered four containerships to Matson between 2003 and 2006 and is currently building two 115,000 tonnes crude oil carriers for SeaRiver Maritime, Exxon Mobil Corporation’s US marine affiliate.

Matt Cox, president and CEO, Matson, added: “Matson has been very pleased with the performance and operating efficiencies of the four containerships built for Matson by Aker. We’re confident Aker will once again deliver quality ships for Matson.”

The new vessels will be delivered in Q3 and Q4 2018.