Pasha Hawaii Takes Delivery of Second LNG-Fueled Newbuild
Hawaii-based Pasha Hawaii took delivery of the second of its new LNG-powered containerships, the Janet Marie, built by AmFELS in Brownsville, Texas. The U.S. flagged vessel joins its sister ship George III operating between the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii.
Operating on liquefied natural gas from day one, Pasha highlights that the vessels surpass the International Maritime Organization 2030 emission standards for ocean vessels, and represent “the most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly vessels to serve Hawaii.” Energy efficiencies are achieved with a state-of-the-art engine, an optimized hull form, and an underwater propulsion system with a high-efficiency rudder and propeller.
Each of the vessels measures 774 feet in length. When they were ordered in 2017, Pasha reported it was a customized design specifically for the Hawaii trade. Each ship they said would be able to carry 2,525 TEUs, including a fully laden capacity of 500 45-foot containers, 400 refrigerated containers, and 300 40-foot dry containers. Design for the hulls was optimized using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), with the company saying the vessel would have a sailing speed of 23 knots.
The construction order was placed in 2017 with the original delivery dates reported for 2020. The first of the ships, George III, was delivered in July 2022 going into the Hawaii service the following month. The ‘Ohana Class vessels are named in honor of George Pasha, III and Janet Marie Pasha, the late parents of Pasha Group President and CEO George Pasha, IV.
“We are very grateful to welcome our second ship as a testament to my parents and our incredible Pasha Hawaii team members who continue to raise the bar on excellence and dedication,” said George Pasha, IV. “Once again, we are extremely proud of the perseverance and commitment of our partners at AmFELS, and the skilled men and women at the shipyard, including our own on-site team members, who have proven once more that shipbuilding and ingenuity are alive and well in the United States.”
Pasha joins Tote Services, which introduced the first LNG-fueled containership in 2015, and Crowley which also operates U.S.-flagged LNG-fueled containerships from the U.S. East Coast. U.S. shipowners have moved to further adopt LNG with Tote recently reporting it was moving forward with the delayed conversions of two of its older ships. Matson also ordered the conversion of three of its containerships that were built to be LNG-ready. Work has begun on the LNG conversion for the Daniel K. Inouye and after that, Matson plans to replace the main engine on the Manukai with a dual-fuel engine. Matson in November 2022, also ordered three additional containerships due for delivery in 2026 and 2027 that will be dual-fuel vessels ready to run on LNG when delivered.