In late June, Crowley celebrated the arrival of the first vessel to call at its newly constructed pier at Isla Grande in Puerto Rico – the Crowley-towed container barge 455-4. The occasion allowed Crowley to put its three new container cranes and equipment to work for the very first time, and both operators and cranes performed well.

Prior to cargo discharge, employees made the proper safety checks, then crane operators initiated work and the first containers were successfully unloaded onto awaiting chassis on the pier. From there, terminal workers transferred the cargo to the company’s on-site terminal and made it available to customers for pick-up.

“These inaugural operations have proven the capability of our cranes to handle our specialized 53-foot container equipment, as well as standard container sizes,” said Jose “Pache” Ayala, vice president of Puerto Rico services. "It also demonstrated our ability to offer customers the fastest discharge times on the island. Now we anxiously await the completion of Crowley's two new ConRo ships so that we can fulfill our commitment to the people, infrastructure and future success of Puerto Rico.”

The new 900-foot-long, 114-foot-wide concrete pier and cranes will serve the company's ConRo (combination container and roll-on / roll-off) ships, designed especially for service between the United States and Puerto Rico, starting in late 2017.

Crowley Commitment Class ConRo ships, some of the first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered, combination container and Roll-On/Roll-Off (ConRo) ships in the world, are designed especially for service between the United States and Puerto Rico.

The Commitment Class ConRos, which will be named El Coquí and Taíno, are designed from the keel up to meet the needs of Crowley’s customers. By making use of clean LNG as their primary fuel, the ships will offer a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions per container as compared to existing fossil fuels.

Built at VT Halter Marine shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., and scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2017 and the first half of 2018, El Coquí and Taíno represent the next chapter in the company’s distinguished, award-winning service for the people of Puerto Rico. Built in the U.S. and operated in the Jones Act trade, these new Crowley ships will offer optimal performance and safety while setting new standards for environmentally responsible shipping.

The ships, which are some of the world’s first to be powered by LNG, are designed to travel at speeds up to 22 knots and carry containers ranging in size from 20-foot standard to 53-foot-long, 102-inch-wide, high-capacity units, along with hundreds of vehicles in enclosed, weather-tight car decking.

Source: Crowley