Matson’s Fleet Expansion Moves Into Full Production at Hanwha Philly Shipyard

Matson’s $1 billion Aloha Class fleet renewal program reached another major milestone Tuesday as Hanwha Philly Shipyard advanced construction on the second and third LNG-powered containerships destined for the Jones Act trades.

The latest milestones build on the program’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.

Tuesday’s events included the dock mounting of the first grand block assembly for the program’s second vessel — signaling the start of hull assembly — along with the official steel