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Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu), Inc. delivered the world’s first methanol dual-fuelled Kamsarmax bulk carrier on January 15, 2026
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The vessel was named “Brave Pioneer” by Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who said the delivery of the Kamsarmax bulk carrier is a historic milestone for Philippine shipbuilding
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The 81,200-metric ton, 22-meter vessel features both a shallow draft and low air draft, enabling access to a wide range of ports worldwide
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By adopting methanol as a propulsion fuel, the vessel achieves a reduction of approximately 10% in CO2 emissions, 80% in NOx, and 99% in SOx during operations compared with conventional vessels
Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu), Inc., or THI, delivered the world’s first methanol dual-fuelled Kamsarmax bulk carrier on January 15, 2026.
The vessel was named “Brave Pioneer” by Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the naming ceremony on the same day in Balamban, Cebu, THI said in a statement.
Marcos said the delivery of Brave Pioneer marked a historic milestone for Philippine shipbuilding.
“This achievement sends a clear message to the whole world: The Philippines is ready to lead in the global transition towards low-carbon and sustainable maritime transport,” Marcos said in a speech during the ceremony.
The 81,200-metric ton Brave Pioneer was assembled in April 2025 and officially launched in July 2025 at West Cebu Estate.
THI, a joint venture between Japan’s Tsuneishi Group and the Philippines’ Aboitiz Group, said the milestone marks a significant step forward in its efforts to advance sustainable shipbuilding and support the decarbonisation of the maritime industry.
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By adopting methanol as a propulsion fuel, the vessel achieves a reduction of approximately 10% in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, 80% in nitrogen oxides (NOx), and 99% in sulphur oxide (SOx) during operations compared with conventional vessels.
The use of green methanol further enhances the vessel’s potential to reduce environmental impact and promote environmentally responsible shipping, THI noted.
Brave Pioneer features both a shallow draft and low air draft, enabling access to a wide range of ports worldwide. With a length of 229 metres, the vessel is also capable of entering Kamsar Port, a major bauxite shipping port in the Republic of Guinea in the western part of Africa. Its length is the maximum allowable for entry at the port.
Okumura Sachio, representative director, president, and executive officer of THI parent firm Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., said: “We are extremely proud to have completed and delivered the world’s first methanol dual-fuelled KAMSARMAX bulk carrier at THI. This achievement is the culmination of many years of design expertise, shipbuilding technology and collective efforts of the TSUNEISHI Group’s Shipbuilding Segment.”
Okumura noted that decarbonisation will become “an ever more critical issue for the maritime industry in the years ahead.”
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“Realising the construction of methanol dual-fuelled vessels at our overseas base represents an important step towards establishing mass-production capabilities for environmentally advanced vessels, and strengthens our ability to respond flexibly and swiftly to the evolving needs of our global customer,” Okumura added.
Looking ahead, Okumura said the Tsuneishi Group’s Shipbuilding Segment will continue to place the highest priority on safety and quality.
“Through the development and construction of next-generation fuel vessels, we will contribute to the realisation of a sustainable society, while also maintaining our strong commitment to human resource development and communities that support our overseas bases,” he said.
With over three decades of operations at West Cebu Estate, THI has launched nearly 400 ships and delivered over 370 vessels worldwide.
