Revival of LNG Carrier Construction in Japan, Target of Three Ships a Year　日本建造LNG船復活、「年間3隻目標」

Imabari Shipbuilding to utilise Oshima Shipbuilding’s Koyagi yard, rebuilding cost structure and design teams remains the challenge

今治造船が大島造船保有の香焼工場を活用、コスト・設計陣の再構築が課題

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will begin full-scale discussions on the resumption of LNG carrier construction at Japanese shipyards at an expert panel meeting on shipbuilding and shipping scheduled for March 19, 2026. The meeting will bring together industry specialists as part of the “Shipbuilding Revival Roadmap” announced in December last year.

■The article includes the following points (full article approximately 3,000 words)

→A concrete plan has emerged to revive LNG carrier construction in Japan at the former Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Koyagi yard now owned by Oshima Shipbuilding

→Imabari Shipbuilding plans to use the Mitsubishi Koyagi yard owned by Oshima Shipbuilding, with an initial target of building three ships per year

→The reality of the technical and cost challenges that led Japan’s shipbuilding industry to withdraw from LNG carrier construction

→Japanese shipping companies operate roughly 30% of the world’s LNG carrier fleet but rely on overseas shipyards for construction

→The biggest obstacles are design teams and costs, and whether the seven-year gap can be overcome

(The full article can be read in the main text written in both English and Japanese. The Japanese version follows the English article.)

日本建造LNG船復活、香焼工場で「年間3隻目標」

今治造船と大島造船が連携、コスト・設計陣の再構築が課題

　国土交通省が2026年3月19日に開く造船、海運の有識者を集めた有識者会議で、昨年12月発表された「造船再生ロードマップ」の一環として日本造船所でのLNG船建造の再開に向けて本格的な協議に入ることが分かった。

■記事本文では以下の内容を読むことができます（記事全文約3000文字）

→大島造船が保有する旧三菱香焼工場で日本のLNG船建造を復活させる具体構想が浮上

→今治造船が大島造船保有の三菱香焼を使い「年間建造目標は当面3隻」

→日本造船がLNG船から撤退した技術・コスト問題の実態

→日本海運は世界LNG船の約3割を運航するが建造は海外依存

→最大の壁は設計陣とコスト、7年の空白を埋められるか

（続きは英語と日本語で書かれた本文でお読みください。日本語の記事は英文記事に続いて掲載されています）