Crowley christens MV TAINO container ship in San Juan
Crowley Maritime Corp. christened the U.S.-flag combination container/roll on-roll off (ConRo) ship MV Taíno in San Juan, marking the first time such a ceremony is celebrated locally in recent history.
“We are thrilled to christen this
magnificent new ship here with our employees, customers and people of Puerto
Rico, whom she will serve for many years to come,” said Tom Crowley, CEO of the
company.
“Taíno is a source of pride for us
all and in particular the men and women who built and/or crew her, many of whom
are Puerto Rican,” he said.
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.
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.
Crowley, which has more than 300 employees
on the island, has served Puerto Rico since 1954.
