After facing significant delays, a naming ceremony has finally been held for the first vessel of a new container ship project—featuring a staggering cost of $330 million each. Originally scheduled for delivery in 2027, the completion of the entire series has now been pushed back to the second quarter of 2028.
On October 10, Hanwha Philly Shipyard held a naming ceremony for the “Makua”, the first of the “Aloha” class 3,600 TEU container ships being built for the U.S. owner Matson. Construction of the vessel began in October 2024, with block assembly commencing in August 2025; delivery is expected in the first quarter of 2027, at which point the vessel will be deployed on Matson’s Hawaii service and its China-Long Beach Express (CLX) network.
The naming of the “Makua” marks a significant milestone in Matson’s fleet renewal program, which involves the construction of three “Aloha”-class 3,600 TEU container ships. Final assembly of the second vessel in the series, the “Malama”, began on May 5, 2026; on the same day, construction commenced on the third vessel, the “Makena”. They are scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2027 and the second quarter of 2028, respectively.
The contract for Matson’s three “Aloha”-class container ships was signed in 2022 with a total value of $1 billion; at over $330 million per vessel, the cost was approximately double that of the 24,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships being built at the time by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (now Hanwha Ocean). Consequently, this order was regarded as an exorbitantly priced contract.
Under the terms of the contract, the delivery of this batch of new vessels was originally scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026 and 2027; however, it has now been confirmed that delivery will be delayed, with all vessels to be handed over by the second quarter of 2028. Upon delivery, they will rank among the largest container ships ever built at a U.S. shipyard.
The three new vessels are based on the design of Matson’s existing “Daniel K. Inouye” and “Kaimana Hila” container ships; delivered by Hanwha Philly Shipyard in 2018 and 2019, respectively, these two vessels were the largest container ships ever built in the United States at the time.
The new vessels measure approximately 260 meters in length with a top speed approaching 24 knots, offering a capacity of 3,220 TEUs and 408 reefer slots. Upon delivery, each vessel will be equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of running on either conventional marine fuel or liquefied natural gas (LNG), and will feature various eco-friendly technologies, such as an energy-efficient hull design, environmentally safe double-hull fuel tanks, and a freshwater ballast system.
This naming ceremony marks another significant step in Hanwha Group’s expansion of its U.S. shipbuilding operations since acquiring the former Philly shipyard in late 2024.