Plans have emerged for Japan’s first new large-scale dock since 2017, with ナムラ造船所 set to build a new dock in Imari Bay, Saga Prefecture. Total investment is expected to reach approximately ¥100 billion, and the company is expected to resume LNG carrier construction by 2035, producing 3–5 vessels annually.
Japanese shipbuilder ナムラ造船所 plans to build the country’s first new large-scale dock since 2017, according to the Nikkei. The new dock is planned for Imari Bay in Saga Prefecture. Total investment is expected to reach approximately ¥100 billion due to rising construction and equipment costs, with government and local-government subsidies also expected to be provided.
The Japanese government has set out a roadmap for reviving the shipbuilding industry, aiming to double domestic shipbuilding capacity by around 2035 through approximately ¥1 trillion in combined private and public investment. Revitalizing LNG carrier construction is viewed as one of the central challenges, and expanding production capacity is expected to be a priority.
ナムラ造船所’s Imari Works currently operates a large-scale dock approximately 450 meters long and 70 meters wide. Against a backdrop of rising orders and high utilization rates, the company is being pressed to secure additional production capacity. Together with other companies whose primary production base is the Sakaide plant, the new dock could serve as a complementary production base for LNG carriers.
In addition to LNG carriers, the new dock is expected to be considered for the construction of next-generation energy carriers, including ammonia carriers. The project is positioned as part of efforts to expand Japan’s production base for next-generation vessels, with a view to decarbonization and economic security.