On Saturday June 30, the largest container ship ever built in the United States was named. Namely, the ‘Daniel K. Inouye’ is a 850-foot long, 3,600 TEU Aloha Class vessel. The ship was named after former Hawaii senator Daniel K. Inouye.
The ship was built by Philly Shipyards for Matson and it will service Hawaii and the US West Coast. ‘Daniel K. Inouye’ is the first of two ships that Philly Shipyard is building, whose cost will reach about $418 million for the two.
[smlsubform prepend=”GET THE SAFETY4SEA IN YOUR INBOX!” showname=false emailtxt=”” emailholder=”Enter your email address” showsubmit=true submittxt=”Submit” jsthanks=false thankyou=”Thank you for subscribing to our mailing list”]
Furthermore, the container ship environmental friendly, as it incorporates dual fuel engines that can use LNG, double hull fuel tanks, fresh water ballast systems and its hull has been designed in order to be more efficient.
Speaking on the christening, Maritime Administrator Mark H. Buzby stated:
At a time when the U.S. maritime industry is fighting to keep its place among international competitors, this event was a momentous occasion. Built for the Hawaii trade, the Inouye represents the blending of the most advanced technologies with proven American shipbuilding skills and was constructed, fittingly, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia has a 300-year legacy as a major center of maritime industrial commerce and serves as a vital economic engine for the entire region.
Philadelphia is continuing to grow, as it has a number of important infrastructure upgrades in its plans. In fact, the Port of Philadelphia is currently implementing a $300 million infrastructure improvement plan to improve its wharf, add new cranes, and upgrade its terminal and warehouses.