Crowley launches LNG-powered conro ship

Meanwhile, Crowley Maritime Chairman and CEO Tom Crowley said the company will receive three ship-to-shore gantry cranes at its Isla Grande Terminal in Puerto Rico, and two cryogenic tanks at its LNG bunkering facility being built at Jaxport.    Crowley Maritime’s first of two combination container-roll on/roll off (conro) ships being built at VT Halter Marine’s shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. was launched Monday, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based shipping company said.
   A video of the ship’s launching can be seen here.
   The ship, the El Coquí, will use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel and operate between Jacksonville, Fla. and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Topside construction of the ship will continue and it will enter service later this year.
   A sister “Commitment Class” ship, the Taíno, will be delivered in the first half of 2018.
   Crowley said it is investing $550 million to expand and modernize its shipping and logistics services between Puerto Rico and the mainland.
   Tom Crowley, company chairman and chief executive officer, said this week the company is also expecting the arrival of three new ship-to-shore gantry cranes at its Isla Grande Terminal in Puerto Rico, along with two, one-million-liter cryogenic tanks at the company’s LNG bunkering facility being built at Jaxport.
   The three new ship-to-shore gantry cranes, manufactured by Liebherr Container Cranes in Ireland, are expected to arrive as early as Wednesday at the Isla Grande Terminal. The cranes, will be offloaded onto Crowley’s new 900-foot-long pier over several days, and will be the first new, specialized gantry cranes to be received for operation in San Juan Harbor in more than five decades.
   The two 260-ton cryogenic LNG tanks, constructed by Chart Industries in Europe, are expected to arrive at Crowley’s leased property at JAXPORT’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal within a week. The facility, scheduled for completion this summer, will be adjacent to Crowley’s operating terminal and will serve as the fueling station for the LNG-powered ships.
   The El Coquí and Taíno will be able to transport up to 2,400 TEUs and a mix of nearly 400 cars and larger vehicles on enclosed, ventilated and weather-tight ro-ro decks.
   Crowley said the ships will be able to accommodate a wide range of container sizes, from 20-foot, to 53-foot by 102 inches wide, high-capacity units, as well as up to 300 refrigerated containers.
   “The new ships and related improvements in Puerto Rico and Jacksonville will add speed and efficiency for our customers shipping goods between the mainland and the island,” said John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico services. “The environmentally friendly ships will replace tugs and triple-deck ro-ro barges currently sailing between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico.”
   Crowley said fueling the ships with LNG will significantly reduce emissions, including a 100 percent reduction in sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM); a 92 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx); and a reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) of more than 35 percent per container, compared with current fossil fuels.
   Crowley’s major competitor in the Puerto Rico Trade, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, has also deployed LNG-fueled ships in it service between Jacksonville and San Juan.