Tsuneishi marks construction milestone with inaugural methanol-fueled Kamsarmax bulker

Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (THI), Tsuneishi Shipbuilding’s base in the Philippines, has marked a milestone in the construction of a dual-fuel Kamsarmax bulk carrier powered by methanol.

As disclosed, the company wrapped up the first block loading for the vessel on April 21, 2025, at THI’s Slipway No. 2. The methanol-fueled ship will possess a length of 229 meters and a cargo capacity of 93,000 cubic meters (cbm).

The newbuilding—believed to be THI’s inaugural unit in the Kamsarmax series powered by this clean energy source—is projected to hit the water in July this year. It is scheduled to be added to its owner’s roster in January 2026.

The 81,200 dwt bulker was reportedly outfitted with a range of environmentally friendly technological solutions aimed at ‘upkeeping’ and ‘boosting’ the lifetime value of the ship.

According to Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, by using methanol for propulsion, the vessel is expected to cut down on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 10%, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 80%, and sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions by 99%, compared to conventional models.

It is understood that, by July 2024, the number of dual-fuel Kamsarmax bulk carriers that Tsuneishi Shipbuilding completed reached around four hundred. The company intends to focus on constructing units of this type at a greater scale, with plans for exclusive production by 2035.

That same month, the company bagged an order from compatriot financial services company ORIX Corporation to build two units, which was said to be the first time that ORIX had booked ships of this type.

In November 2024, the Japanese shipbuilder launched what was hailed as the ‘world’s first’ 65,700 dwt methanol dual-fuel bulker, designed to operate with a minimal environmental impact, a high load-carrying capacity, as well as ‘improved’ fuel efficiency. As divulged, the unit is based on Tsuneishi’s TESS666 Aeroline design, known as the biggest class of Ultramax category with Panamax breadth.

More recently, namely in April 2025, a retrofitting project aimed at turning conventionally-fueled Kamsarmax bulkers to a dual-fuel propulsion system led by Tsuneishi and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) was given the go-ahead via approval in principle (AiP) from the Japanese classification society ClassNK.