Aker-controlled Philly Shipyard has won a $1bn order from Matson Navigation Company to build three LNG-fuelled 3，600 TEU ships. The ships， which work out at roughly seven times the price offered in Asia， will deliver in 2026 and 2027 and will be able to operate at speeds in excess of 23 knots.

“Winning this order creates historic backlog for Philly Shipyard， as well as great visibility through 2027 for its shareholders and other stakeholders，” said Kristian Rokke， chairman of the board of Philly Shipyard. “Long term， it also supports the yard’s vision to deliver quality vessels， while pivoting between commercial and government contracts.”

“Our existing Aloha Class ships are among the fastest， most efficient vessels in the Matson fleet，” said Matt Cox， Matson’s chairman and CEO. “These new Jones Act compliant vessels will be built specifically for our China-Long Beach Express service， and like their sisterships， are expected to help Matson achieve its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal while also providing additional capacity and speed benefiting our Hawaii service as well as the CLX.”