Crowley Maritime Corp. christened the U.S.-flag combination container/roll on-roll off (ConRo) ship MV Taíno last week in San Juan, where the company’s investments have ushered in a new era of world-class supply chain services in the U.S. mainland-Puerto Rico trade. The ceremonial bottle of champagne wet the bow of MV Taíno at the company’s Isla Grande Terminal before several hundred employees, customers and dignitaries.
MV Taíno is among the first of its kind to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), like its sister Commitment Class ship MV El Coquí, which entered service in 2018. LNG is a substantially cleaner fuel source that provides industry-leading environmental performance.
MV Taíno is named for the native Puerto Ricans who lived off the land with great appreciation and respect for their environment, and MV El Coquí is named for the popular indigenous frog on the island.
Both ships are 219.5 meters (720 feet) long, 26,500 deadweight tons (DWT), and able to transport up to 2,400 twenty-foot-equivalent container units (TEUs) at cruising speeds of greater than 22 knots – offering fast, 55-hour transits that reached an industry-leading on-time arrival rate of 98 percent in the past month. Each ship has enclosed, ventilated decks with capacity for 400 cars and large vehicles, a feature unique in the Puerto Rico trade.
Both Jones Act ships were constructed at VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula, Miss., with Crowley Solutions providing the construction management services.
Related articles:
- Second LNG-Powered ConRo Ship Delivered to Crowley Maritime
- Crowley Teamwork Earns Safety at Sea Award for LNG-Powered ConRo Ships
