US carrier Matson has announced that it has placed an order to build two new ships at a cost of more than US$500 million with General Dynamics NASSCO, according to bizjournals.com.
As a combination of both container and roll-on/roll-off ships, both ships are set to be delivered by mid 2020.
Matt Cox, President and CEO of Matson, said: “This vessel order underscores Matson’s long-standing commitment to serve Hawaii with the largest, most reliable, efficient and environmentally friendly fleet for the long term.
“The Kanaloa Class ships will be built specifically to meet Hawaii’s freight demands while reducing our environmental impact and improving our efficiency for decades to come.”
This order comes amid a time of severe overcapacity, as carriers look to scrap ships in order to save on costs, increase revenue and restore supply and demand.
Overcapacity is also an issue in the ports industry, which has been reported to have a potential impact on Chinese ports.
