Crowley’s first avance class vessel Quetzal begins maiden commercial voyage

Crowley’s new LNG-powered containership Quetzal has successfully begun its inaugural commercial voyage, opening the company’s next era of faster, frequent ocean shipping with a new class of vessels for the U.S., Central America, and the Dominican Republic.

With a capacity for up to 1,400 20-foot container equivalent units (TEUs), Quetzal and its three forthcoming sister Avance Class ships will provide more cargo capacity while using lower-emissions liquefied natural gas (LNG) for fuel. Quetzal and its sister ships were specifically designed to accommodate a variety of container sizes, including 300 refrigerated container unit plugs.

The Avance Class – pronounced in Spanish “ah-Bahn-seh” with the English meaning of advance – is uniquely suited to quickly transport perishable goods like food and pharmaceuticals, as well as retail products, apparel, breakbulk cargo and other essential items.

Quetzal initiated service on April 11-12 at Port of Santo Tomás, Guatemala. Named to honor Central American culture and communities, the Avance Class vessels, built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard of Korea, are all expected to enter service in 2025 from owner Eastern Pacific Shipping, operating under long-term charters to Crowley.

“Quetzal and the Avance Class ships represent the next generation of Crowley’s innovation and leadership in supply chain solutions for international shipping in the Caribbean Basin,” said Tom Crowley, Chairman and CEO. “The vessels provide frequent service and greater capabilities to deliver cargo at peak timing while carrying forward Crowley’s high operational standards. With the company’s decades of service in Central America and the Dominican Republic, the Avance Class is a strategic investment by Crowley in the future of this international trade, setting a new standard for environmental efficiency.”
Quetzal also builds on Crowley’s commitment to advancing LNG as a solution in the maritime industry’s energy transition. Crowley’s Avance Class ships feature high-pressure ME-GI engines by MAN Energy Solutions, which reduce methane slippage 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.