Matson's $1 billion Aloha Class fleet renewal programme reached another major milestone on Tuesday as Hanwha Philly Shipyard advanced construction on the second and third LNG-powered containerships destined for the Jones Act trades. Tuesday's events included the dock mounting of the first grand block assembly for the programme's second vessel — signalling the start of hull assembly — along with the official steel cutting for the third and final ship in the series. The latest milestones build on the programme's October 2024 steel-cutting ceremony for the first vessel, which marked the return of commercial containership construction at the Philadelphia yard after several years focused largely on government work and repair contracts.
The three vessels are designed for Matson's Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express (CLX) services and are scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2028. The ships will replace three existing vessels in Matson's fleet while continuing the carrier's push toward lower-emissions operations. Like Matson's existing Aloha Class ships Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila, delivered in 2018 and 2019, the newbuilds will measure 854 feet long with capacity for 3,600 TEU and service speeds exceeding 23 knots — a key requirement for Matson's premium expedited Pacific services. The vessels are being built with LNG dual-fuel capability and additional energy-efficiency technologies aimed at supporting Matson's greenhouse gas reduction goals.
The project also underscores the growing strategic importance of Hanwha Philly Shipyard within the U.S. commercial shipbuilding sector following the yard's acquisition by South Korea's Hanwha Group. The ownership transition, completed after the original order announcement in 2024, marked the first major Korean investment in a U.S. commercial shipyard and injected new momentum into Jones Act shipbuilding. Hanwha Philly Shipyard says it has delivered roughly half of all large ocean-going Jones Act commercial ships built in the United States since 2000.
In addition to the Matson programme, the yard is also constructing National Security Multi-Mission Vessels for the U.S. Maritime Administration and the offshore subsea rock installation vessel Acadia for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock. Together, the Matson fleet renewal and the yard's diversified order book position the Korean-owned Philadelphia yard as a central pillar of U.S.-flag commercial shipbuilding capacity over the coming years, with Matson's Aloha Class trio set to anchor the carrier's Pacific containership operations into the late 2020s.
Key Takeaways:
1. Matson's $1 billion Aloha Class fleet renewal moved into full production at Hanwha Philly Shipyard on Tuesday with grand-block mounting on the second vessel and the formal steel cutting for the third.
2. The three-ship series is designed for Matson's Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express trades, with deliveries scheduled for 2027 and 2028.
3. Each newbuild measures 854 feet long with 3,600 TEU capacity and a service speed above 23 knots, mirroring the existing Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila Aloha Class vessels.
4. The vessels feature LNG dual-fuel propulsion and additional energy-efficiency technologies and will replace three existing Matson ships.
5. Hanwha Group's 2024 acquisition of the Philadelphia yard was Korea's first major investment in a U.S. commercial shipyard and has injected new momentum into Jones Act shipbuilding.
