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Japanese shipyards are expanding, but the future space may already be spoken for.
On August 19, Nikkei Asia reported that Namura Shipbuilding was planning to construct a new drydock for large vessel construction by 2035. Japan is already the third-largest shipbuilder in the world, and the expansion carries significant security and economic implications for the region. It follows a renewed commitment by Japan to invest in the shipbuilding sector, amidst growing security concerns around lackluster U.S. capacity and the role allies like Japan can play in filling security gaps.
Yet the announcement highlights a more sobering reality regarding those prospects. Japanese shipyards are expanding because their current capacity is fully maxed out. Consequently, scaling future alliance cooperation may depend far less on reaching formal agreements than on securing available schedule space.
The new drydock would be located in Imari Bay, on the northwestern coast of Kyushu in Saga prefecture, and would be the first new large drydock in Japan since 2017. Upon completion, it will reportedly focus on construction of liquefied natural gas carriers.
