Shipbuilder VT Halter Marine, Inc. announced construction has started early for the second liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ConRo ship, Taíno, for Crowley Holdings, Inc.
Taíno’s steel cutting ceremony was held May 27 at VT Halter’s Pascagoula, MIss. facility, following the start of construction for sister ship, El Coquí, in October 2014. Both ships are being built for Crowley Maritime Corporation, with deliveries scheduled for mid and late 2017.
Designed by Wartsila Ship Design in conjunction with Crowley subsidiary Jensen Maritime, the new Commitment-Class ships aim to maximize efficiency as the environmentally friendly main propulsion and auxiliary engines will be fueled with LNG, the cleanest fossil fuel available, netting a 100-percent reduction in sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM), a 92-percent reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx), and the ability to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2), a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, as compared with conventional fossil fuels.
The ships measure 219.5 meters long, 32.3 meters wide (beam), with a deep draft of 10 meters, and an approximate deadweight capacity of 26,500 metric tons. The vessels’ design maximizes the carriage of 53-foot-long, 102-inch-wide containers, with a total cargo capacity of approximately 2,400 TEUs, plus additional space for nearly 400 vehicles.
“We are pleased and proud to be building this superb ship for Crowley,” said VT Halter Marine chief executive officer, Jack Preendergast. “Crowley is an outstanding company and a leader in the industry, and we are delighted to be partnering with them on this cutting edge vessel.”
Crowley ordered the pair of ships from VT Halter Marine in November 2013.
