World’s first methanol-fueled bulk carriers set for construction in Cebu town, states a CNN Philippines.
Kamsarmax
Kamsarmax, the world’s first methanol-fueled bulk carrier, is set to be built at the West Cebu Estate (WCE) in Cebu’s Balamban town, dubbed the biggest shipbuilding facility in the Philippines.
In a speech at an event marking the Aboitiz-led WCE’s 30th anniversary on Thursday, Tsuneishi Heavy Industries President Yasuaki Seto said a United States-based company, Cargill, Inc. ordered four bulk carrier ships which are expected to be delivered before the end of 2025.
According to a previous press release of Tsuneishi, Cargill, a multinational grain company, is an international provider and trader of food, agricultural, financial, industrial and related products.
The new methanol-fueled vessels will have lesser emissions, contributing less to air pollution.
“We have received orders for four new Kamsarmax, the world’s first methanol-fueled bulk carrier,” Seto said. “Towards the realization of a zero-emission vessel, we will build the vessel using green methanol here in Balamban with delivery schedule around end of 2025.”
Details of new bulk carriers
The new bulk carriers will have a net weight of around 82,000 metric tons. Its length is 229 meters while its maximum width is 32 meters.
Tsuneishi is the first investor in the WCE developed by Aboitiz Infra Capital. The WCE is a 60-40 joint venture between the Aboitiz Group and Tsuneishi Holdings of Japan.
The Japanese firm now has a capacity to build 20 ships per year in the Cebu town.
As of this year, Seto said Tsuneishi has 32 pending orders including the four methanol-fueled bulk carriers. It currently employs at least 10,000 workers in its facility.
The 540-hectare WCE is also home to other ship-building companies including Austal of Australia as well as local builders Advance Catamaran Composites, and Cebu Maritime Industry.
WCE president Rafael De Mesa said an ₱800-million expansion project is in the works to diversify the WCE to attract other industries and commercial districts.
De Mesa, who is also head of the Aboitiz Infra Capital Economic Estates, said the 39-hectare expansion project is expected to be finished by 2025.
With the project, the WCE is expected to employ an additional 14,000 to 16,000 workers bringing its total workerforce to more than 30,000.
“It will diversify our locator mix to include light to medium manufacturing, as well as a central business district with commercial lots for sale, anchored by a new neighborhood mall with a transport terminal and a communal park, that will support the everyday needs of the estate, and of the growing population in Balamban,” De Mesa told reporters in a press briefing.
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Source: CNN Philippines
