Hueneme Welcomes Its First Post-Panamax Ship
(Photo: Port of Hueneme)
Pictured starting from the top left is: Andrew Palomares, Christina Birdsey, Len Mazzella, Michael Collins, Brandon Severly, and Kraig Jondle. Bottom left: Commissioner Arlene Fraser, Captain Gode, Kristin Decas, and KJ May. (Photo: Port of Hueneme)
Port of Hueneme’s first Post-Panamax ship was greeted by Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines (WWL) company leaders and Port officials during an occasion marking a paradigm shift in how the widened Panama Canal will bring a new class of vessels to the Port of Hueneme.
This maiden voyage of the M/V Thalatta marks a new milestone to support the Port’s and its industry partners’ agenda. Thalatta is one of the newest high efficiency Roll on Roll off (RoRo) HERO class vessels designed to increase capacity and flexibility while reducing emissions.
Harbor Commissioner Arlene Fraser celebrated the occasion remarking, “We are most pleased to welcome the M/V Thalatta and keep the course of advancing our Board adopted environmental framework with the introduction of ships that improve the environment, increase efficiency and bring prosperity to the constituents we serve.”
Thalatta is fitted with an Exhaust Gas Cleaning System that reduces sulphur emissions to below 0.1 percent in compliance with ECA regulations and removes 70 percent of particulate matter, which also reduces nitrogen oxide emissions. Using scrubber based technology, the vessel generates a steam based release at berth instead of diesel exhaust, making the vessel one of the greenest in the global Ro-Ro fleet.
Like the Thermopylae, the Thalatta measures almost 200 meters long, 36.5 meters wide and features five liftable car decks which allows for multiple configurations and a wide variety of customer cargo. The new vessel can transport up to 8,000 car equivalent units. With the increased beam (width), the Post Panamax vessels carry an additional 2,000 Ro-Ro units.
Thalatta is the second in a total of eight HERO Post-Pana Panamax vessels that commenced service for WWL in 2015 the final ship will be introduced in 2017.
Thalatta’s sister ship Themis is anticipated to arrive at the Port of Hueneme this September. Post-Panamax is the new standard vessel size based on the width of new locks now open at the Panama Canal.
Kristin Decas, Port CEO stated, “We appreciate the business ethic of our customers as they strive to green their fleets and build market share for our Port, thereby achieving environmental benefit coupled with the creation of good jobs. We are proud that the high caliber customer of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Lines calls Port Hueneme home.”
