Crowley’s new Avance class ship, Tiscapa, enters service

Tiscapa [Photo: Crowqley]

Crowley’s newest LNG-fueled containership Tiscapa, the third in its Avance class, began its inaugural service July 10, adding faster, bigger options for timely ocean cargo transport around the U.S., Caribbean and Central America.

Like its sister ships in the Avance Class, Tiscapa has a container capacity of 1,400 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), including 300 refrigerated units. This ship was specifically designed to quickly and frequently deliver cargo while using lower emission liquefied natural gas (LNG) for fuel.

Operated under charter from Eastern Pacific Shipping, the Avance class ships are built at South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and feature high-pressure ME-GI engines that reduce methane slip to negligible levels and make these vessels the most environmentally efficient in their category. LNG itself lowers vessel greenhouse gas emissions, such as sulfur oxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, while eliminating particulate matter compared with conventional diesel fuel.

“The addition of Tiscapa to our fleet marks another milestone in Crowley’s commitment to delivering efficient and reliable logistics solutions across the region,” said Andrew Davis, vice president of operations for Crowley Logistics. “With its LNG-powered design and expanded capacity for dry and refrigerated goods, Tiscapa enhances our ability to provide faster, dependable service for customers moving essential goods throughout the U.S. and Caribbean Basin.”

Tiscapa departed from the Port of Jacksonville, Florida, for its first commercial voyage serving the Caribbean Basin. Following a transition period of service for the region, Tiscapa will begin providing regular service between the U.S., Dominican Republic and Central America, offering direct market connections for goods such as medical devices, household goods, food and perishables.

Tiscapa follows sister ships Quetzal and Copán, which are also strategically built to serve El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, and the growing trade between the U.S. and Central America.

The Avance Class ships are named to honor the cultural aspects of Central America, where Crowley has operated shipping and logistics services for more than 60 years. Located in the capital city of Managua in Nicaragua, Tiscapa is a lagoon of volcanic origin that formed over 10,000 years ago. The area surrounding it contains pre-Columbian remains and a massive Augusto Sandino statue, an iconic symbol of the city.

The fourth and final Avance Class ship, Torogoz, which is named for the national bird of El Salvador, is due to enter service this August.