Matson takes delivery of Matsonia

Matson Inc., the state’s largest ocean shipping company, took delivery Friday of the Matsonia, the second of two new Kanaloa-class combination container/roll-on, roll-off ships built for the company by General Dynamics NASSCO.

The two are the largest vessels of their kind ever built in the U.S. They join two new containerships, the Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila, which themselves are the largest of their kind in the U.S. commercial fleet. The four vessels complete the renewal of Matson’s Hawaii fleet.

The Matsonia and Lurline, the other Kanaloa vessel, are each 870 feet long and 114 feet wide with a deep draft of 38 feet and weighing in at over 50,000 metric tons. The sister ships have an enclosed garage with room for about 500 vehicles, plus ample space for vehicles, and cargo that doesn’t fit into standard shipping containers. Lurline entered service in January.

Matson’s new Aloha-class containerships, the Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila, were built by Philly Shipyard and entered service in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Each 850-foot-long containership has a 3,600 20-foot equivalent capacity.

The four new ships are the centerpiece of Matson’s nearly $1 billion investment to modernize its Hawaii service. In addition to a nearly $930 million investment in its fleet, Matson is also investing more than $60 million in improvements to its Hawaii hub terminal at Sand Island in Honolulu, in conjunction with the state’s Harbors Modernization plan.

“Putting four new ships into service in a three-year span is a significant accomplishment that culminates eight years of planning, project management and coordination for teams across many departments at Matson,” said Matt Cox, chairman and chief executive officer. “Together with the modernization and expansion of our Honolulu terminal, these investments position Matson to provide efficient, reliable service to Hawaii for decades to come.”