Crowley Maritime Corp has christened its second LNG dual-fuel powered conro MV Taíno, which will serve the Puerto Rico-Florida tradelane.
“We are thrilled to christen this magnificent new ship here with our employees, customers and people of Puerto Rico, whom it will serve for many years to come,” said Crowley Maritime chief executive Tom Crowley. “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.”
MV Taíno is among the first of its kind to be powered by LNG, like its sister Commitment-class ship MV El Coquí, which entered service in 2018.
Both ships are 219.5 m long, 26,500 dwt, and able to transport up to 2,400 TEU at cruising speeds of greater than 22 knots, “offering fast, 55-hour transits that reached an industry-leading on-time arrival rate of 98% 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, US, with Crowley Solutions providing construction management services.
To enhance supply chain velocity with these ships, Crowley also made significant investments in terminal and related infrastructure on the mainland and in Puerto Rico. At Isla Grande, the company added a new, 274-m pier and three ship-to-shore gantry cranes – the first newly constructed cranes for San Juan Harbor in more than 50 years. The company also implemented a new terminal operating system and added container staging areas and handling equipment for both refrigerated and dry cargo – all while reducing gate turn times.
“This major investment, which is resulting in jobs, a positive economic impact, a cleaner environment and world-class supply chain services for Puerto Rico shippers, would not have been possible without the Jones Act,” said Tom Crowley.
The Jones Act is a federal law that regulates maritime commerce in the United States. The Jones Act requires goods shipped between US ports to be transported on ships that are built, owned and operated by United States citizens or permanent residents.
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