Japan’s Tsuneishi Shipbuilding has inked its first order for its newly developed 38,300 dwt log and bulk carrier from a compatriot shipowner.

The TESS38 series vessel will be built at Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu), Inc. in the Philippines.

The first vessel under this multiple-ship order will be delivered at the end of 2017. Tsuneishi did not reveal the exact number of newbuilding orders placed by the unnamed shipowner. Financial details of the deal were also not disclosed.

The TESS38 design was being developed in November 2014, arising from an increased demand in resource transportation due to the economic development in Asia, and from the stable demand in small-sized log transportation, according to Tsuneishi.

The bulker is designed with environmentally-friendly features and boasts fuel efficiency of 15.4% compared to Tsuneishi’s handysize bulkers built in the 1990s. There are also energy saving devices to improve propulsion efficiency as well as an improved ship hull design to reduce wave and wind resistance.

The TESS38 is also built to realise improved cargo handling efficiency and ease of maintenance by having a hatch cover with a larger opening and a semi-box shaped hold area that is suited for transporting steel products.