Honolulu-based shipping company Pasha Hawaii has placed an order with Keppel AmFELS, a US-based subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), for the construction of two Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fueled containerships.

Under the terms of the contract worth over USD 400 million, the dual fuel LNG vessels will be built to Keppel’s proprietary design with the delivery of the first vessel expected in 1Q 2020, and the second vessel in 3Q 2020.

“We are pleased that Pasha has chosen us to build their first two LNG fueled containerships to our innovative design. Keppel O&M is at the forefront of designing vessels that run on LNG propulsion systems and has the experience in LNG vessel conversions as well as the expertise in newbuild specialised vessels. In addition, Keppel AmFELS is ideally located and well-equipped to build a wide variety of vessels for the Jones Act market,” Simon Lee, President of Keppel AmFELS said.

“This contract with Keppel allows Pasha Hawaii to continue to move forward in our commitment to providing the best resources possible for our customers and Hawaii’s shipping industry while minimising our environmental footprint,” said George Pasha, IV, President and CEO of The Pasha Group.

Customised to Pasha Hawaii’s requirements, the new, 774-foot Jones Act vessels will be able to carry 2,525 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), including a fully laden capacity of 500 45-foot containers, 400 refrigerated containers, and 300 40-foot dry containers, with a sailing speed of 23 knots.

The ships’ hull has been fully optimised using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and will be one of the most hydrodynamically efficient hulls in the world, as described by Keppel.

The containerships will be able to run completely on LNG fuel, cutting their environmental impact.

Pasha Hawaii, an independent operating subsidiary of The Pasha Group, owns a fleet of six fully Jones Act-qualified vessels.