Mitsui E&S delivers its last merchant ship as it switches to engineering business

Japanese shipbuilder Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co. has completed and delivered its last commercial vessel, a 66,000 dwt bulk carrier.

After years of financial losses in its shipbuilding operation, the company announced that it is closing its “shipbuilding business” and switching to engineering services.

Mitsui’s last vessel, which is 38,000 gross tons, has a length of 199.99 meters and 18.45 meters depth.

The JAL Kalpataru is part of the yard’s wide beam shallow draft vessel design called “neo series”.

Some of the features that the vessel includes are:

• the capacity of more than 82,600 cbm for loading various cargos like coal, ore, grain, as well as lengthy/heavy cargo such as steel pipe and hot coil:
• wide beam (over-P’max) and shallow draft which will allow the ship to have wide flexibility for operations and high transport efficiency:
• multiple fuel oil tanks for switching of fuel oil to meet the strengthened restriction for SOx emission:
• fuel oil consumption is less than that of a conventional Supramax bulk carrier despite its enlargement.

The final ship delivery ceremony was held on 21 July 2021 at Tamano Shipyard.

In spring this year, the company announced a business tie-up with Tsuneishi Shipbuilding as part of its consolidation efforts.

Since 2018, the two companies had been cooperating on their commercial ship construction for tankers, bulk carriers, and containerships. Under the plan, Tsuneishi will invest in the new joint company and will own 49 percent of the company.

Separately, Mitsui E&S Holdings has reached a final agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to take over the naval and governmental ship business.