Matson expands car-carrying capacity

Matson Navigation in the US has signed a $17 million contract with Atlantic Marine Alabama to convert a Matson containership to one that can partly serve as a vehicle carrier. The ?Mokihana? will be converted into a combination container and ro-ro vessel and work begins next April at Atlantic Marine’s shipyard in Alabama and should be complete in two months.

“The conversion of the ?Mokihana? will increase Matson’s ro-ro capacity in our Hawaii service by 35%,” said Dave Hoppes, senior vice president, ocean services. “It will help further Matson’s objective of providing our auto customers with the two features they prefer: frequency of service and ro-ro capacity. The new state-of-the-art garage unit will have all of the features of a pure car carrier, including a fully enclosed garage, ventilation, lighting and various safety components to minimize damage in transit.”

The conversion of the Mokihana is part of a previously announced $45 million upgrade of Matson’s ro-ro service capabilities in its Hawaii service, which includes shoreside facility improvements and investments in new information technology. The converted Mokihana will complement Matson’s two other combination ro-ro/containerships, the Lurline and Matsonia.

Matson has multiyear agreements with Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Dollar Thrifty Group, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Toyota and Nissan. The Ford agreement includes Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover.