Pasha Hawaii took delivery on July 28 on the first of its two LNG-fueled containerships built by Keppel AmFELS in Texas. The vessel, named George III, becomes one of only a few LNG-fueled ships in the US merchant marine and according to Pasha is the first LNG-fueled vessel homeported on the U.S. West Coast running regular operations between the mainland and Hawaii. 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.
The George III, and her sister ship Janet Marie, which is still under construction in Texas, make up Pasha Hawaii’s new Ohana class of vessel. Each ship measures 774 feet in length. They are approximately 43,500 dwt with a carrying capacity of 2,525 TEU. The design called for a fully laden capacity of 500 45-foot containers, 400 refrigerated containers, and 300 40-foot dry containers.
Operating fully on natural gas from day one, the new Jones Act vessel Pasha highlights surpass current emission standards for ocean vessels. According to Pasha and Keppel, the vessels feature an energy efficient design including a state-of-the-art dual-fueled, MAN Energy Solutions gas injection main engine. The hull form was optimized and the vessels have a high-efficiency rudder and propeller. Reports indicate they have a top speed of 23 knots.
“We are pleased to deliver Pasha Hawaii’s first LNG-powered containership,” said David Wedgeworth, President of Keppel AmFELS. “By working closely with Pasha Hawaii, we were able to resolve operational challenges posed by COVID-19 and deliver the vessel to their satisfaction. Built to Keppel O&M’s proprietary design, M/V George III exemplifies our engineering and design expertise as well as our in-depth experience in LNG.”
The vessels are also unique as the first, large ocean-going vessels built in Texas in many years. Keppel AmFELS received the contract valued at more than $400 million in the summer of 2017. In addition to the sister ship to the George III, the shipyard also has construction underway on the first Jones Act compliant offshore wind turbine installation vessel, the Charybdis, being built for Dominion Energy.
The Ohana class vessels are named in honor of George Pasha, III and Janet Marie, the late parents of The Pasha Group President and CEO George Pasha, IV. “As we welcome the new MV George III to the Pasha Hawaii fleet, we stand incredibly proud of the perseverance and commitment of our partners at Keppel AmFELS, and the skilled men and women at the shipyard on this tremendous accomplishment,” said George Pasha, IV.
Pasha Hawaii plans to place the George III into service in August operating between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. The company expects to take delivery on her sister ship, the Janet Marie, later this year. When the vessels begin operating from the Port of Long Beach, Clean Energy Fuels will supply an estimated 78 million gallons of liquefied natural gas to World Fuel Services used to power the two Pasha Hawaii container ships.
