| Japan’s Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, which mainly builds Kamsarmax and Handymax bulkers, plans to soldier on with research and development to clinch new orders. Speaking to IHS Maritime in Singapore today, Tsuneishi president Kenji Kawano said, “It’s true that the dry bulk shipping market has gone down so it’s difficult to get new orders. But some customers are really very interested in new ships if the quality is good so we will have some potential= 2E” Kawano and Tsuneishi ship sales division director Hitoshi Kono are in Singapore as part of overseas visits to customers and media. Kawano said, “We’re researching new technology in terms of fuel efficiency so customers are very interested and curious about our technology.” In January, Tsuneishi delivered its 200th Kamsarmax bulker. In terms of Kamsarmax construction, Tsuneishi has the biggest market share, with 28% of orders among Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean shipbuilders. Kono said Tsuneishi has been undertaking research and development with Hiroshima University and Carnegie Mellon University to develop construction technologies. Kawano said, “To survive today’s fierce competition for new orders, we must make our products more distinctive while improving our cost efficiency. This is why we have yards in (the) Philippines and China where eco-ships with high performance developed in Japan can be built in overseas yards, using Japanese quality control.” The shipbuilder, which has yards in Cebu, Hiroshima, Paraguay, and Zhoushan, plans to invest in another yard in Southeast Asia. When asked if Tsuneishi would build a new yard in Indonesia, Kawano said, “We’re definitely planning another yard in Southeast Asia but we don’t have any details yet.” |