Posted:
October 24, 2014
The following is excerpted from an article released by Crowley October 22. American Maritime Officers will represent all licensed officers aboard the Commitment Class ships.
(PASCAGOULA, Miss.: October, 22, 2014) - Today marked a historic moment for Crowley as VT Halter Marine, Inc., a subsidiary of VT Systems, Inc., officially began construction on the first of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered, combination container - Roll-On/Roll-Off (ConRo) ships for Crowley Maritime Corporation's liner services group. VT Halter Marine and Crowley entered into a contract for the pair of ships in November 2013 and construction began with the first steel plate cutting in Pascagoula, Miss., this morning.
"We have waited with great anticipation for the Commitment Class build program to start," said John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico/Caribbean liner services. "These new ships will embody superior technology and construction and we are anxious to get them into service for our partners in Puerto Rico."
"VT Halter Marine is pleased and excited to announce the first steel plate cut, which launches the official start of construction for these new LNG ConRo ships. These vessels signify how important the Jones Act is to Americans employed in the marine industry. We are most grateful for Crowley's continued confidence in VT Halter Marine," said Bill Skinner, CEO, VT Halter Marine.
The Commitment Class ships have been designed to maximize the carriage of 53-foot, 102-inch-wide containers, which offer the most cubic cargo capacity in the trade. The ships will be 219.5 meters long, 32.3 meters wide (beam), have a deep draft of 10 meters, and an approximate deadweight capacity of 26,500 metric tons. Cargo capacity will be approximately 2,400 TEUs (20-foot-equivalent-units), with additional space for nearly 400 vehicles in an enclosed Ro/Ro garage. The main propulsion and auxiliary engines will be fueled by environmentally friendly LNG. The ship design is provided by Wartsila Ship Design in conjunction with Crowley subsidiary Jensen Maritime, a leading Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm.
The Commitment Class Jones Act ships will replace Crowley's towed triple-deck barge fleet, which has served the trade continuously and with distinction since the early 1970s. These new ships, which will be named El Coquí (ko-kee) and Taíno (tahy-noh), will offer customers fast ocean transit times, while accommodating the company's diverse equipment selection and cargo handling flexibility - benefits customers have enjoyed for nearly 60 years. El Coquí and Taíno are scheduled for delivery in the second and fourth quarter of 2017 respectively.
Construction begins on Crowley's Commitment Class LNG-powered ConRo ships for service in Puerto Rico trade
The following is excerpted from an article released by Crowley October 22. American Maritime Officers will represent all licensed officers aboard the Commitment Class ships.
(PASCAGOULA, Miss.: October, 22, 2014) - Today marked a historic moment for Crowley as VT Halter Marine, Inc., a subsidiary of VT Systems, Inc., officially began construction on the first of two liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered, combination container - Roll-On/Roll-Off (ConRo) ships for Crowley Maritime Corporation's liner services group. VT Halter Marine and Crowley entered into a contract for the pair of ships in November 2013 and construction began with the first steel plate cutting in Pascagoula, Miss., this morning.
"We have waited with great anticipation for the Commitment Class build program to start," said John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico/Caribbean liner services. "These new ships will embody superior technology and construction and we are anxious to get them into service for our partners in Puerto Rico."
"VT Halter Marine is pleased and excited to announce the first steel plate cut, which launches the official start of construction for these new LNG ConRo ships. These vessels signify how important the Jones Act is to Americans employed in the marine industry. We are most grateful for Crowley's continued confidence in VT Halter Marine," said Bill Skinner, CEO, VT Halter Marine.
The Commitment Class ships have been designed to maximize the carriage of 53-foot, 102-inch-wide containers, which offer the most cubic cargo capacity in the trade. The ships will be 219.5 meters long, 32.3 meters wide (beam), have a deep draft of 10 meters, and an approximate deadweight capacity of 26,500 metric tons. Cargo capacity will be approximately 2,400 TEUs (20-foot-equivalent-units), with additional space for nearly 400 vehicles in an enclosed Ro/Ro garage. The main propulsion and auxiliary engines will be fueled by environmentally friendly LNG. The ship design is provided by Wartsila Ship Design in conjunction with Crowley subsidiary Jensen Maritime, a leading Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm.
The Commitment Class Jones Act ships will replace Crowley's towed triple-deck barge fleet, which has served the trade continuously and with distinction since the early 1970s. These new ships, which will be named El Coquí (ko-kee) and Taíno (tahy-noh), will offer customers fast ocean transit times, while accommodating the company's diverse equipment selection and cargo handling flexibility - benefits customers have enjoyed for nearly 60 years. El Coquí and Taíno are scheduled for delivery in the second and fourth quarter of 2017 respectively.