Crowley Maritime, marine solutions company, and VT Halter Marine, shipbuilding company, launched Crowley’s new Commitment Class ship El Coquí, one of the world’s first combination container/ Roll on-Roll off (ConRo) ship, powered by liquefied natural gas in Pascagoula, Miss, on March 20.
El Coquí, named after a beloved frog native to the island, will now proceed through the final topside construction and testing phase before beginning service in the U.S. Jones Act trade during the second half of 2017.
“This was a special day for Crowley, VT Halter Marine and all of the men and women who designed, and who are constructing, this world-class ship,” said Tom Crowley, company chairman and CEO. “We are extremely appreciative of all the work that has been accomplished so far and look forward to the successful delivery of El Coquí later this year and her sister ship, Taíno, in the first half of next year.”
El Coquí, like her sister ship Taíno, will be able to transport up to 2,400 twenty-foot-equivalent container units (TEUs) and a mix of nearly 400 cars and larger vehicles in the enclosed, ventilated and weather-tight Ro/Ro decks. A wide range of container sizes and types can be accommodated, ranging from 20-foot standard, to 53-foot by 102-inch-wide, high-capacity units, as well as up to 300 refrigerated containers.
Construction of both El Coquí and Taíno, the latter named for an indigenous people of Puerto Rico, is being managed in the shipyard by Crowley Marine Solutions, which includes naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary Jensen Maritime .
“The new ships and related improvements in Puerto Rico and Jacksonville will add speed and efficiency for our customers shipping goods between the mainland and the island,” said John Hourihan, senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico services. “The environmentally friendly ships will replace tugs and triple-deck Roll-on/Roll-off barges currently sailing between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico.”
The company notes that LNG-fueling will reduce emissions significantly, including a 100-percent reduction in sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM); a 92-percent reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) and a reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) of more than 35 percent per container, compared with current fossil fuels.
“The ships, terminal and bunkering facility represent next-generation technology built for high performance and dependable service for our customers,” said Crowley’s Tucker Gilliam, vice president, special projects.
The official launch of El Coqui is depicted in the following video:
Source: Crowley
