Honolulu-based Pasha Hawaii has announced that two more ships will be joining its fleet which provides service to the Hawaii/Mainland trade lane.

The two new liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled containerships will be built at the Brownsville, Texas-based Keppel AmFELS, a subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine.

Construction for the two vessels will begin immediately, with delivery of the first vessel expected in the first quarter of 2020, and the second in the third quarter.

The new, 774-foot Jones Act vessels will carry 2,525 TEUs, including a fully laden capacity of 500 45-foot containers, 400 refrigerated containers, and 300 40-foot dry containers, with a sailing speed of 23.0 knots. The ship’s hull has been fully optimized using computational fluid dynamics and will be one of the most hydrodynamically efficient hulls in the world.

“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 minimizing our environmental footprint,” said George Pasha IV, president and CEO of The Pasha Group.

The new vessels will operate fully on LNG from day one, dramatically reducing environmental impact and increasing fuel efficiency. Energy savings will also be achieved with a state-of-the-art engine, an optimized hull form, and an underwater propulsion system with a high-efficiency rudder and propeller.

When compared to conventional fuels, LNG is a much cleaner alternative fuel for shipping and offers significant environmental benefits, including the reduction of up to 95 percent sulphur oxides, nearly 100 percent particulate matter, up to 90 percent nitrogen oxides, and up to 25 percent carbon dioxide emissions from engine exhaust emissions.

“Keppel is at the forefront of designing vessels that run on LNG propulsion systems,” said Simon Lee, president of Keppel AmFELS, “and has the experience in LNG vessel conversions as well as the expertise in newbuild specialized vessels. We look forward to building these ships which will have a direct impact on American jobs at our shipyard and suppliers across the country.”

Pasha Hawaii is a wholly owned subsidiary of the family-owned global logistics and transportation company, The Pasha Group, one of the nation’s leading Jones Act shipping and integrated logistics companies.