CHELSEA Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp. has tapped Japanese company Fukuoka Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. for the supply of a passenger roll-on, roll-off (Roro) ship that will be used to serve destinations in Visayas and Mindanao.
Under their contract, Fukuoka Shipbuilding will build a 123-meter ferry ship that can carry 1,085 passengers, 24 buses and 11 trucks. The vessel shall be delivered by June 2021.
“Our thrust of improving the shipping and logistics industry, together with Fukuoka’s more than seven decades of shipbuilding expertise, will allow us to accommodate the growing number of passengers in Visayas and Mindanao while employing a significant number of Filipinos onboard,” Chelsea President Chryss Alfonsus V. Damuy said.
Based in Fukuoka Prefecture, the Japanese company has been building various types of vessels for the past 72 years.
“We are certain that we can count on Fukuoka’s leadership and look forward to joining hands with them as we continuously create long-term value for our stakeholders,” Damuy said.
As of end-March, the Filipino shipping and logistics company, controlled by Davao-based businessman Dennis A. Uy, has a fleet of 40 vessels that range from tankers, ropax and cargo vessels.