Matson has christened Makua, the first of three Aloha Class containerships worth roughly US$1 billion combined, at Hanwha Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia.

Board member Jenai Wall performed the christening on 10 October before about 300 guests, including government representatives, company executives, shipyard employees and union leaders. The three Jones Act-compliant vessels will replace three ships now operating across Matson's Hawaii and China–Long Beach Express services.

What does the newbuild programme change?

The renewal is tightly sequenced. Makua is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2027, the second vessel in the third quarter of 2027 and the third in the second quarter of 2028. The follow-on ships will be named Malama and Makena.

"We look forward to putting Makua to work serving our customers early next year," said Matt Cox, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Matson. He added that the three vessels would improve operating efficiency, reliability and capacity across the carrier's core services.

For shippers on the Hawaii trade and the China–Long Beach Express, that translates into newer, faster tonnage and incremental capacity on lanes Matson dominates under Jones Act protections. For Matson, replacing older ships with dual-fuel newbuilds cuts a significant chunk of operating cost and emissions exposure from its core network.

How do the new Aloha Class ships compare?

Each newbuild offers 3,600 TEUs of capacity and measures approximately 259 metres in length. Top speed approaches 24 knots, ranking them among the fastest vessels in Matson's fleet.

The ships come with dual-fuel engines able to run on conventional marine fuel or LNG. Environmental features include:

• Fuel-efficient hull design
• Double-hull fuel tanks
• Freshwater ballast systems

One detail matters for the fuel transition. Matson's two existing Aloha Class vessels required modifications for LNG operation. The three new ships will arrive LNG-ready from the yard, removing retrofit cost and downtime from the delivery schedule.

The LNG-ready delivery also gives Matson optionality. It can burn conventional fuel while LNG pricing and bunkering infrastructure settle, then switch without a yard visit.

Why the Jones Act context matters?

These are Jones Act vessels, built in a US shipyard — Hanwha Philly — for deployment in US domestic and Matson-flagged trades. That regulatory frame explains both the US$1 billion price tag for three 3,600 TEU ships and the fleet-replacement logic: Matson cannot simply charter cheaper foreign-built tonnage into these services.

The christening also marks a milestone for Hanwha Philly Shipyard, which secures work across the three-ship series through 2028.

With Makua due in service in early 2027, Malama following late that year and Makena closing out the programme in mid-2028, Matson's core Hawaii and China–Long Beach Express networks will run on faster, LNG-capable tonnage within four years.