By GENIVI FACTAO

Japanese shipping firm Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. ("K" Line) will expand its fleet from 460 to 500 ships this year and up to 700 by mid 2010.

The expansion will mean more jobs for Filipino seafarers in one of the largest shipping companies in the world.

Based on the fleet expansion plan set forth in "K" Line vision 2008, of the total 500 vessels, 90 of them are containerships, another 90 for car carriers, 185 of which are bulk carriers, 48 LNG tankers, 31 oil tankers and others numbered at 56.

By 2010 "K" Line will be operating 700 vessels, 120 of them are containerships, which is an increase by 30; car carriers will number about 110; bulk carriers up 250, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and oil will rise to 90 and 60 respectively while other carriers will be about 70.

"When it comes to "K" Lines’ fleet expansion plan, our business scale has been steadily expanding ....in accordance with our business plan "Vision 2008 plus" which also mandates that our operating revenue will be more than 1.5 trillion yen," president and CEO Hiroyuki Maekawa said at the inauguration of the newly opened $13-million "K" Line Maritime Academy (KLMA) last Friday.

For the fiscal year ending March, "K" Line is expecting that its operating revenues will be at 1.3 billion yen.

Capt. Tekehiko Ibusuki, chief executive officer said most of the container vessels ply to United States, Europe and Asia.

Car carriers are all over the world. The bulk carriers are mostly seen in Australia, Japan, China and India. Energy tankers or those carrying LNG and oil are deployed in Persian Gulf and Japan.

"All kinds of vessels will require Filipino officers," Ibusuki said.

"K"-line employs 7,000 seafarers in the world, of which majority of them or 4,000 are Filipinos, according to Satoru Kubashima, an official of "K"-Line.

By mid 2010, total seafarers are expected to reach 11,000.

"K"-Line Officers are paid a monthly salary of $5,000 to $8,000 while ratings receive $1,500 to $3,000.

President Arroyo graced the inauguration of the 7-storey KLMA building, the company’s largest training facility which can accommodate 10, 000 trainees.

Majority of the trainees will be Filipino cadets, and it will also accommodate other nationalities including 50 Indians.

Maekawa said they are striving to secure and train marine technical personnel on a global scale and to standardize the marine technology at a high level in order to arrest the shortage of vessel officers which is expected to run until 2015.

"K" Line also has other academies in Mumbai, India and Sofia, Bulgaria for its international workforce.

The said training school offers 50 courses which also include the mandatory Management Level Course to adhere to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping as well as catering.

The shipping firm’s training program includes operational skills, understanding culture and mental training, among others.

The 3,380-square meter training facility has a full mission Polaris ship bridge simulator with 6 desktop version bridges, full mission engine room simulator, GMDSS simulator, main engine maneuvering control, electronic chart display and information system. The company spent $4 million for its simulators.

It uses actual training equipment on automatic identification system (AIS), boiler combustion control, marine electricity and electronics, air conditioning and refrigeration, LNG carrier cargo handling, ship stability, marine auxiliary machineries, lathe machine operation, gas and electric welding, as well as culinary courses.

K-Line has its own shipyard facilities in Japan, China and Korea and has no plans yet to expand to the Philippines, according to Ibusuki.