On Saturday 18 April, a special event will take place in San Diego to to christen and launch the world’s first LNG powered containership built by General Dynamics NASSCO for TOTE.
The ship’s sponsor, Mrs Sophie Sacco, the wife of Michael Sacco, president of the Seafarers International Union of North America, AFL CIO will christen the ship with a traditional champagne bottle break over the ship’s hull. Fireworks will commence immediately upon the christening and launch of the ship. The name of the ship will also be revealed during the ceremony.
As part of a two ship contract signed in 2012 with TOTE, when completed the 764 foot long Marlin class containerships will be the largest dry cargo ships of any kind in the world powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Marlins are expected to formally enter service from late 2015 and will operate from the port in Jacksonville, Florida.
The vessels will operate on LNG, which will significantly decrease emissions while increasing fuel efficiency as compared to conventionally-powered ships. Each LNG powered containership will also include a ballast water treatment system, making them the greenest ships of their size anywhere in the world it is said.
General Dynamics NASSCO is the only major shipyard on the West Coast of the United States conducting new construction and repair.
As a complement to its government new construction business segment, NASSCO maintains an extensive history of commercial shipbuilding. In the past decade, NASSCO delivered eleven commercial ships and currently has ten commercial ships in its backlog, including the two Marlin Class containerships for TOTE. For its commercial work, NASSCO partners with South Korean shipbuilding power, DSME, for access to state-of-the-art ship design and shipbuilding technologies.
TOTE is a leading transportation and logistics company, overseeing some of the most trusted companies in the US. TOTE Maritime companies Totem Ocean Trailer Express and Sea Star Line bring unmatched reliability and service to the Alaska and Puerto Rico markets. TOTE Services offers crewing and technical services to meet the needs of commercial, privately owned and US Government vessels. Carlile Transportation ensures freight arrives in perfect condition to some of the world’s most challenging destinations. TOTE is a Saltchuk company.
