Matson signs contracts for six cranes at Honolulu terminal

The new cranes are part of a $60 million terminal expansion and modernization program to prepare Matson’s Hawaii operational hub for the arrival of four new ships the company has on order.    U.S. Pacific carrier Matson, Inc. has signed contracts with Paceco Corp. for the purchase of three new 65 long-ton capacity cranes, as well as modifications to upgrade three existing cranes at its Sand Island Terminal in Honolulu Harbor.
   The investments, Matson said Aug. 23, are part of a broader $60 million terminal expansion and modernization program to prepare the company’s Hawaii operational hub for the arrival of four new ships the company has on order.
   The six cranes, with a combined value of about $930 million, are expected to be delivered in 2018, Matson said. They’ll be built by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding and then installed in early 2019 at Matson’s Sand Island Terminal in Honolulu.
   Matson said the newbuilds and modified cranes will have greater lifting capacity, height and reach than the company’s existing cranes, therefore enabling service of the company’s new larger Hawaii vessels, which are expected to be put into service over the next three years.
   The cranes are also, Matson said, more energy efficient and will be outfitted with fiber-optic cabling so that data used in Matson’s container tracking system can be communicated faster and more accurately.
   The new cranes are slated to replace three older, smaller cranes; the three other cranes will be upgraded to the same 11.5 kv electrical system and fiber-optic cabling as the new cranes. 
   Among the ships that Matson has on order are two “Aloha Class” vessels now under construction at Philly Shipyard, with deliveries scheduled for the third quarter of 2018 and first quarter of 2019, respectively.
   Matson said the 850-foot long, 3,600 TEU vessels, which are designed to operate at speeds over 23 knots, would be the company’s largest ships, as well as the largest containerships ever built in the U.S.
   In addition to the “Aloha Class” ships, Matson has ordered two “Kanaloa Class” vessels from San Diego-based General Dynamics NASSCO. These 870 feet long, 115 feet wide ships are combination container and roll-on/roll-off vessels built on a 3,500-TEU vessel platform, with enough garage space for 800 vehicles. Deliveries scheduled for late 2019 and mid-2020.
   “These latest investments in our fleet and terminal infrastructure underscore Matson’s long-standing commitment to serving our island communities,” Matson Chairman and CEO Matt Cox said. “Our new Aloha Class and Kanaloa Class ships are being built specifically to meet Hawai’i’s freight needs into the future while reducing our environmental impact and improving our efficiency for decades to come.”
   All four new vessels Matson said, will have state-of-the-art green technology features like a fuel-efficient hull design, environmentally safe double hull fuel tanks, fresh water ballast systems and dual-fuel engines.
   The addition of the four new vessels, Matson said, will allow it to retire seven older vessels that wouldn’t be able to comply with 2020 environmental regulations without substantial modifications.