Tsuneishi Shipbuilding has delivered a methanol dual-fuel container vessel from its Chinese shipyard, marking what the company describes as the expansion of alternative-fuel vessel construction beyond Japan.

The 5,900-teu container carrier, chartered by A.P. Moller-Maersk, was handed over on 3 February from Tsuneishi Group (Zhoushan) Shipbuilding Inc. (TZS).

According to Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, the delivery shows that alternative-fuel vessel construction has moved beyond a Japan-centred initiative and is now embedded across its overseas shipyards as part of a global production framework.

The company has been steadily expanding its portfolio of low-emission vessels. In May 2025, it delivered a methanol-dual-fuel Ultramax bulk carrier from its Tsuneishi Factory in Japan. This was followed in January 2026 by what it described as the world’s first methanol dual-fuel Kamsarmax bulk carrier, built at Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu), Inc.

Tsuneishi Shipbuilding said the successful completion of the methanol dual-fuel container vessel at TZS demonstrates that design and construction expertise developed in Japan and the Philippines can now be deployed seamlessly across borders.

Sachio Okumura, representative director, president and executive officer of Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, commented: "The delivery of this methanol dual-fuelled container vessel at TZS marks an important milestone, demonstrating that Tsuneishi Shipbuilding has entered a phase in which alternative-fuel vessels can be built continuously at overseas manufacturing bases."

He added: "Extending the design and construction expertise developed at our shipyards in Japan and the Philippines to overseas bases, including TZS in China, represents meaningful progress in our efforts to support the global transition towards lower-carbon shipping."

Tsuneishi Shipbuilding said it will continue advancing the construction of alternative-fuel vessels across multiple ship types, with coordinated production between its Japanese and overseas facilities.