日本海事新聞ニュース Japan Maritime Daily Dec 12, 2025 (Fri)

Ship Scrap Can Be ’Strategic Material’ for Domestic Circulation - Spotlighted by Japanese Steel Industry

Image of an electric furnace

　Some officials in the steel industry say that ship scrap, which is produced by scrapping ships, sho ・・・ 続きはログインして下さいnext %E3%80%80Some+officials+in+the+steel+industry+say+that+ship+scrap%2C+which+is+produced+by+scrapping+ships%2C+should+be+classified+as+a+%E2%80%9Cstrategic+material%E2%80%9C+and+that+a+system+should+be+established+to+circulate+it+in+Japan.+Not+only+from+the+perspective+of+ensuring+economic+security+but+also+from+the+perspective+of+achieving+low-carbon+and+decarbonization%2C+demand+for+ship+scrap+as+a+raw+material+for+steelmaking+is+likely+to+increase+as+Japan%E2%80%99s+steel+industry+transitions+from+blast+furnaces+to+electric+furnaces+in+pursuit+of+%E2%80%9Ccarbon+neutrality+by+2050.%E2%80%9C+The+scrapping+of+ocean-going+ships+is+mainly+carried+out+in+South+Asia%2C+such+as+India+and+Bangladesh%2C+but+the+officials+also+called+for+the+establishment+of+rules+that+would+allow+the+scrap+produced+after+ship+scrapping+to+be+returned+to+Japan.+%3Cbr%3E+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CThe+government+has+included+%E2%80%99shipbuilding%E2%80%99+as+a+priority+investment+area%2C+but+it+will+also+need+to+consider+how+to+secure+the+steel+that+is+the+raw+material+for+shipbuilding.%E2%80%9C+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80A+steel+industry+official+said%3A+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80There+are+remarkable+efforts+to+revitalize+and+strengthen+Japanese+shipbuilding%2C+including+the+decision+to+select+the+shipbuilding+industry+as+a+key+investment+area+at+the+government%E2%80%99s+Council+for+Japan%E2%80%99s+Growth+Strategy+and+the+establishment+of+a+fund+to+support+shipbuilding+in+the+FY+2025+supplementary+budget+proposal.+The+FY+2026+budget+proposal%2C+which+will+soon+be+finalized%2C+is+attracting+attention+as+to+how+much+money+will+be+allocated+to+strengthening+the+shipbuilding+industry+in+the+%E2%80%9Citem+requests%E2%80%9C+based+on+Japan-U.S.+cooperation.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80However%2C+it+seems+that+the+materials+used+in+shipbuilding+are+not+receiving+as+much+attention+as+the+shipbuilding+itself.+In+this+situation%2C+officials+in+the+steel+industry+are+showing+strong+interest+in+ship+scrap.+Currently%2C+the+Japanese+steel+industry+is+changing+steelmaking+methods.+Ship+scrap+used+in+electric+furnaces+is+described+as+%E2%80%9Cthe+%E2%80%99fatty+tuna%E2%80%99+of+steelmaking%E2%80%9C+%28a+steel+industry+official%29%2C+and+is+of+high+quality+as+a+steel+raw+material.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80The+official+also+advocates+the+need+to+position+ship+scrap+produced+through+ship+scrapping+as+Japan%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%9Cstrategic+resource%E2%80%9C+and+to+create+a+system+to+circulate+and+secure+it+within+Japan.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%96%A0+Electric+furnace+construction+progressing+steadily+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80With+the+Paris+Agreement+coming+into+force+in+2016+and+the+Japanese+government%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%9C2050+Carbon+Neutrality+Declaration%E2%80%9C+in+2020%2C+momentum+for+low-carbon+and+decarbonization+is+growing.+Consequently%2C+it+has+come+to+light+that+the+Japan%E2%80%99s+steel+industry+is+shifting+its+iron+production+from+using+traditional+blast+furnaces+to+using+electric+furnaces%2C+which+emit+less+CO2+%28carbon+dioxide%29.+Nippon+Steel+Corporation+plans+to+build+a+large+electric+furnace+in+the+second+half+of+2029%2C+while+JFE+Steel+plans+to+build+one+in+2028.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80When+steel+is+made+using+a+blast+furnace%2C+CO2+emissions+are+about+2.0+tons+per+ton+of+steel%2C+but+when+it+comes+to+electric+furnaces%2C+the+amount+is+about+0.5+tons+per+ton+of+steel%2C+which+is+about+a+quarter+of+the+amount+from+a+blast+furnace%2C+making+it+a+less+environmentally+hazardous+process.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80According+to+statistics+from+the+Ministry+of+the+Environment%2C+the+steel+industry%E2%80%99s+CO2+emissions+as+of+2020+were+142+million+tons.+This+accounts+for+13.6%25%2C+the+highest+among+all+industries+in+Japan.+To+achieve+carbon+neutrality+by+2050%2C+it+is+urgent+to+reduce+CO2+emissions+in+the+steel+industry.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80In+Japan%E2%80%99s+steel+industry%2C+70%25+of+iron+is+produced+using+blast+furnaces+and+30%25+using+electric+furnaces.+The+proportion+of+blast+furnaces+is+high%2C+which+has+a+significant+impact+on+the+environment.+Blast+furnaces+produce+high-quality+steel+products+such+as+electrical+steel+sheets+and+automotive+steel+sheets%2C+while+electric+furnaces+produce+general-purpose+steel+products+such+as+reinforcing+bars%2C+H-beams%2C+and+thick+plates.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80On+the+other+hand%2C+the+US+steel+industry+is+in+stark+contrast+to+Japan%2C+with+blast+furnaces+accounting+for+30%25+and+electric+furnaces+for+70%25.+They+are+very+different+from+Japan+in+that+they+use+blast+furnaces+to+manufacture+general-purpose+products+and+electric+furnaces+to+produce+high-quality+steel+products+such+as+electrical+steel+sheets.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Regarding+raw+materials+for+steel%2C+ordinary+scrap+contains+copper+and+other+contaminants+that+degrade+the+performance+of+steel%2C+and+no+technology+has+been+developed+at+present+to+remove+these+contaminants.+The+quality+of+the+final+product+depends+on+how+few+impurities+are+in+the+scrap+used+as+raw+material.+In+this+situation%2C+demand+for+ship+scrap%2C+a+high-quality+raw+material%2C+for+electric+furnaces+is+expected+to+increase.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%96%A0+Regulations+in+sight+for+%E2%80%9Crecycling%E2%80%9C+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80With+the+exception+of+government+ships+and+some+coastal+vessels%2C+most+of+the+scrapping+of+Japan-related+ships+is+carried+out+in+South+Asian+countries+such+as+India+and+Bangladesh.+There+are+only+a+few+cases+where+ships+can+be+scrapped+and+recycled+in+Japan.+The+reality+is+that+the+scrap+produced+after+scrapping+is+consumed+in+markets+in+countries%2C+such+as+India%2C+where+scrapping+is+carried+out.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80As+the+importance+of+ship+scrap+increases+from+various+perspectives%2C+such+as+ensuring+economic+security%2C+achieving+a+circular+economy%2C+and+achieving+low+carbon+and+decarbonization%2C+%E2%80%9Cit+is+necessary+to+establish+a+system+that+allows+scrap+to+be+collected+in+Japan+and+recycled+within+Japan%2C%E2%80%9C+even+if+ships+are+scrapped+overseas%2C+according+to+a+steel+industry+official.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80In+addition%2C+the+official+said+the+possibility+of+introducing+regulations+in+the+future+is+becoming+more+realistic+and+needs+to+be+taken+into+consideration.+The+official+said%2C+%E2%80%9CThe+European+automotive+industry+is+shifting+towards+%E2%80%99horizontal+recycling%2C%E2%80%99+where+discarded+car+parts+are+reused+and+used+in+car+manufacturing.+This+could+become+a+regulation+and+be+introduced+in+the+shipping+world+in+the+future.%E2%80%9C+From+the+perspective+of+complying+with+such+regulations%2C+it+is+essential+to+establish+a+system+for+internal+circulation+in+Japan.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80However%2C+when+it+comes+to+scrapping+in+Japan%2C+there+are+currently+no+yards+capable+of+scrapping+large+ships+such+as+Capesize+bulkers.+The+need+for+support%2C+such+as+budgetary+measures+to+secure+such+scrap+capacity%2C+is+likely+to+increase+in+the+future.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80When+developing+yards%2C+it+is+essential+to+comply+with+the+Hong+Kong+International+Convention+for+the+Safe+and+Environmentally+Sound+Recycling+of+Ships%2C+which+is+already+in+force%2C+and+to+take+safety+and+environmental+measures+that+comply+with+the+convention.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Another+challenge+is+to+narrow+the+purchase+price+gap+of+ships+for+scrapping+in+Japan+and+overseas.+The+purchase+price+for+ships+for+scrapping+in+Japan+is+cheaper+than+in+major+scrapping+countries+such+as+India.+Therefore%2C+there+is+a+need+to+create+a+market+that+will+stimulate+Japanese+shipowners%E2%80%99+desire+to+sell+their+ships.+%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EDisclaimer%3A+The+English+translations+provided+through+this+service+are+the+result+of+translations+made+by+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+or+automatically+and+mechanically+translated+by+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+using+an+automated+translation+system+provided+by+a+third+party+after+certain+processing+of+the+Japanese+content+licensed+by+the+third+party.+In+terms+of+the+English+translation%2C+The+Japan+Maritime+Daily+and+MarineNet+Co.%2C+Ltd.+make+no+warranty+or+burden+of+any+kind%2C+express+or+implied%2C+including+its+accuracy%2C+reliability%2C+validity+or+fitness+for+a+particular+purpose.+MarineNet+Users+should+fully+understand+that+this+service+uses+an+automated+translation+system+that+automatically+and+mechanically+recognizes+and+analyzes+information+and+produces+results.+The+users+should+understand+the+above+conditions+before+using+this+service.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E5%85%8D%E8%B2%AC%E4%BA%8B%E9%A0%85%EF%BC%9A%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%82%92%E4%BB%8B%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E6%8F%90%E4%BE%9B%E3%81%95%E3%82%8C%E3%82%8B%E8%8B%B1%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%81%8C%E4%BD%9C%E6%88%90%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E3%81%8B%E3%80%81%E5%8F%88%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%80%85%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E8%A8%B1%E8%AB%BE%E3%82%92%E5%8F%97%E3%81%91%E3%81%9F%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E8%AA%9E%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%86%E3%83%B3%E3%83%84%E3%82%92%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%81%8C%E4%B8%80%E5%AE%9A%E3%81%AE%E5%87%A6%E7%90%86%E3%82%92%E8%A1%8C%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%80%81%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%80%85%E3%81%8C%E6%8F%90%E4%BE%9B%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%A0%E3%82%92%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%9A%84%E3%83%BB%E6%A9%9F%E6%A2%B0%E7%9A%84%E3%81%AB%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E7%B5%90%E6%9E%9C%E3%81%A7%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%80%81%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%B5%B7%E4%BA%8B%E6%96%B0%E8%81%9E%E3%80%81%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E5%BD%93%E8%A9%B2%E8%8B%B1%E8%A8%B3%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%80%81%E3%81%9D%E3%81%AE%E6%AD%A3%E7%A2%BA%E6%80%A7%E3%80%81%E4%BF%A1%E9%A0%BC%E6%80%A7%E3%80%81%E5%A6%A5%E5%BD%93%E6%80%A7%E5%8F%8A%E3%81%B3%E7%89%B9%E5%AE%9A%E7%9B%AE%E7%9A%84%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE%E9%81%A9%E5%90%88%E6%80%A7%E3%82%92%E5%90%AB%E3%82%81%E3%80%81%E6%98%8E%E7%A4%BA%E5%8F%88%E3%81%AF%E9%BB%99%E7%A4%BA%E3%81%AB%E3%82%82%E3%80%81%E3%81%84%E3%81%8B%E3%81%AA%E3%82%8B%E4%BF%9D%E8%A8%BC%E3%82%82%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93%E3%80%82%E3%83%9E%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%8D%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%83%A6%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B6%E3%83%BC%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%81%8C%E3%80%81%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%9A%84%E3%81%8B%E3%81%A4%E6%A9%9F%E6%A2%B0%E7%9A%84%E3%81%AB%E6%83%85%E5%A0%B1%E3%82%92%E8%AA%8D%E8%AD%98%E3%83%BB%E5%88%86%E6%9E%90%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E7%B5%90%E6%9E%9C%E3%82%92%E5%87%BA%E5%8A%9B%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%82%B9%E3%83%86%E3%83%A0%E3%82%92%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%81%A7%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%82%92%E5%8D%81%E5%88%86%E3%81%AB%E7%90%86%E8%A7%A3%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%A7%E3%80%81%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B9%E3%82%92%E5%88%A9%E7%94%A8%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E3%82%82%E3%81%AE%E3%81%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99%E3%80%82%3Cbr%3E

船スクラップ、国内循環「戦略物資」に。鉄鋼関係者、経済安保・脱炭素。ルール整備の必要性訴え

2025/12/12(金)

日本海事新聞 JMD

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