Shipbuilding firm delivers 2 bulk carriers this month

CEBU, Philippines - Shipbuilding company, Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, Inc. delivered two bulk carrier ships this month and expects to hand in one more ship before the end of June

THICI, one of the leading shipbuilders in the world, named and delivered another 82,000 deadweight metric ton type KAMSARMAX bulk carrier, and a 58,000 deadweight metric ton type HANDYMAX bulk carrier on June 2 and June 4 respectively.

The 20-year-old shipbuilding firm, partly-owned by the Aboitiz group expects to deliver at least 21 ships this year.

One of the two deliveries is the 82,000 tonnage KAMSARMAX bulker named as “M/v AOM Georgina”.

According to the company's official release, this is one of the 11 ships a Japanese national company ordered and is currently enroute to Indonesia with 21 Filipino crew on board.

Tsuneishi is expecting one more ship to be delivered for the month. Scheduled delivery is on June 27 for an SC-199, a sister vessel of SC-198 M/v AOM Georgina, said THICI president  Hitoshi Kono.

“The ship owner ordered mostly KAMSARMAX bulk carriers with expected deliveries until the 1st half of 2017," he said.

"For this year alone, we have 12 KAMSARMAX in the order book and we already delivered four out of the 12 orders. The KAMSARMAX bulk carriers are one of Tsuneishi Group’s major products alongside the Tsuneishi Economical Ship Standard series. The ship is 229 meters long, and 32.26 meter wide with seven cargo holds equipped with side-rolling type hatch covers for each," Kono added.

Another delivery was a TESS58 or 58,000 tonnage HANDYMAX bulker, which was named “M/v Majulah Singapura”, ordered by a Japanese national company, and is bound for China to load cement with 21 Filipino crews on-board.

The TESS58, is an "eco ship" that employs energy-saving technologies in its hull design, electronically controlled engine, reduced wind resistance, and other features. The ship is 190 meters length, and 32.26 meter wide with a service speed of 14.5 knots.

On June 16 and 23, THICI will launch another TESS58, the SC-219 and an 82,000 deadweight metric ton type KAMSARMAX bulk carrier, the SC-214 respectively. The launching ceremony is open to the public.

THICI, being one of the major contributors in the growth of the Philippine shipbuilding industry, already delivered 182 ships since its inception in 1994 with its first ship M/V Sea Amelita, named after the former first lady Amelita Ramos.

Philippines now ranks as the 4th largest shipbuilding hub in the world.

With a total land area of 149.7 hectare to include its Phase 4 extension, THICI currently employs 13,000 people including subcontractor workers and affiliate companies.

Earlier, Philippine Economic Zone director-general Director-General Lilia de Lima said that the country is now strongly pushing for further development of shipbuilding industry.

“We are pushing from the shipbuilding and car parts sector because we have the capacity here with many skilled Filipinos,” she said. — (FREEMAN)