Construction Begins on New Aloha Class Vessel Makua

Construction Begins on New Aloha Class Vessel Makua

Matson’s Site Team Manager Regis Burkhardt did the honors at the steel cutting for Makua, the first of Matson’s three new Aloha Class containerships, on September 30, at Philly Shipyard. The cutting of the first steel plates signifies the beginning of vessel construction. Makua will be the first of three new Aloha Class vessels being built for Matson, followed by its sister ships Malama and Makena.

All three vessels will be 854 feet and have a carrying capacity of 3,600 twenty-foot equivalent units. Each will be able to carry a variety of container sizes and operate at speeds in excess of 23  knots. All will incorporate “green ship technology,” such as environmentally safe double-hull fuel tanks and freshwater-ballast systems, and will be delivered ready to operate on liquified natural gas.

Makua, Malama, and Makena deliveries are scheduled for October 2026, April 2027, and December 2027, respectively.

A bright light comes from the cutting machine as the first piece of steel is cut and a Matson employee wearing a hard hat sits behind the controls.
Steel cutting at Philly Shipyard for Makua, the first of Matson’s three new “Aloha Class” containerships. Sitting at the controls of the shipyard’s plasma cutter is Regis Burkhardt, fleet maintenance manager and Matson’s site team manager at the shipyard.