The first of three Aloha-class 3,600 TEU container ships ordered by US shipowner Matson from Hanwha Philly Shipbuilding (formerly Philly Shipyard) has entered a critical phase of construction.
On August 4, the first large hull section of the Makua, weighing 420 tons, was lowered into the dry dock, marking the official start of hull assembly work. Construction of the ship officially began in September 2024.
Matson and Hanwha Philly Shipbuilding signed a contract in 2022 to build three Aloha-class LNG dual-fueled 3,600 TEU container ships. The total order value is US$1 billion, with each ship costing approximately US$330 million, roughly double the cost of the 24,000 TEU LNG dual-fueled containerships then under construction by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (now Hanwha Ocean). The remaining two vessels are named “Malama” and “Makena.”
The container ship is approximately 260 meters long, has a design speed of 23 knots with a carrying capacity of 3,600 TEU. It is expected to be delivered in 2027 and 2028, at which time it will be the largest container ship ever built by a US shipyard. As a ship built by a U.S. shipyard, the new ship complies with the Jones Act and will operate between California and Hawaii to replace the current older ships.
The new ship is equipped with dual-fuel engines that can use traditional marine fuel or LNG (ready for use upon delivery). It is also equipped with other green ship technologies, such as energy-efficient hull design, environmentally friendly and safe double-hull fuel tanks, and a fresh water ballast system.
It is worth noting that when the new shipbuilding contract was signed, the first announced delivery time was the fourth quarter of 2026 and 2027, but according to the latest news, the delivery date may have been postponed.
Previously, Hanwha Philly Shipbuilding built two other Aloha-class container ships for Matson, which were delivered in 2018 and 2019 and named “Daniel K. Inouye” and “Kaimana Hila”, respectively. These were the largest container ships ever built in the US at the time.
The Kaimana Hila and Daniel K. Inouye completed LNG dual-fuel conversions at COSCO SHIPPING Shipyard (Nantong) Co., Ltd. and were both put back into operation at the end of 2024. The total cost of the conversion project was US$94 million, higher than the initial estimate of US$35 million per ship.
In addition, the shipbuilding milestone for the Aloha-class 3,600 TEU container ship “Makua” is also an important milestone for Hanwha Philly Shipyard, as it is the first commercial ship project initiated by the shipyard since its acquisition by Hanwha Group.