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日本海事新聞ニュース Japan Maritime Daily Apr 18, 2024 (Thu)

Japanese shipyards gasp for air amid carbon dioxide dearth crisis

Impact of steel mill and refinery closures becoming apparent

　Japanese shipyards are becoming increasingly concerned about dwindling supplies of carbon dioxide g ・・・続きはログインして下さいnext %E3%80%80Japanese+shipyards+are+becoming+increasingly+concerned+about+dwindling+supplies+of+%3Cb%3Ecarbon+dioxide%3C%2Fb%3E+gas%2C+used+in+welding.+At+the+end+of+last+year%2C+several+major+shipyards+experienced+a+temporary+halt+in+procurement+of+welding+gas+from+domestic+steel+mills+and+refineries.+Although+there+were+no+delays+to+the+construction+process%2C+the+shrinking+supply+of+the+gas+is+believed+to+be+due+to+structural+changes%2C+such+as+a+decline+in+the+number+of+domestic+steel+mills+and+refineries+that+are+its+suppliers.+Some+shipyards+are+expecting+shortages+of+the+gas+to+continue+in+the+future%2C+and+as+this+poses+a+%E2%80%9Chidden+risk+to+operations%2C%E2%80%9C+they+are+rushing+to+take+measures+such+as+enlarging+the+storage+tanks+at+their+factories.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80%E2%80%9CWelding+is+a+key+part+of+shipbuilding%2C+and+the+likelihood+that+the+supply+of+%3Cb%3Ecarbon+dioxide%3C%2Fb%3E%2C+which+is+essential+for+welding%2C+will+be+structurally+tapered+poses+a+hidden+risk+to+the+stable+operation+of+Japan%E2%80%99s+shipbuilding+industry.%E2%80%9C+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80A+domestic+shipyard+manager+pointed+out+as+above.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80The+welding+gas+used+in+large+quantities+by+Japanese+shipbuilding+companies+in+the+construction+process+is+made+from+%3Cb%3Ecarbon+dioxide%3C%2Fb%3E+gas+produced+as+a+by-product+at+domestic+steel+mills+and+oil+refineries.+This+%3Cb%3Ecarbon+dioxide%3C%2Fb%3E+gas%2C+which+has+a+lower+unit+price+than+usual%2C+is+procured+in+bulk+and+turned+into+welding+gas%2C+thereby+reducing+costs.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Therefore%2C+if+supplies+from+current+procurement+sources+become+scarce%2C+%E2%80%9Cthe+costs+of+domestically+procuring+or+importing+regular+%3Cb%3Ecarbon+dioxide%3C%2Fb%3E+will+not+be+viable%2C+and+it+will+not+be+easy+to+secure+alternative+sources+of+supply%2C%E2%80%9C+according+to+a+domestic+shipyard+official.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80In+this+context%2C+JFE+Steel+suspended+operations+of+its+No.+2+blast+furnace+at+its+East+Nippon+Works+Keihin+District+%28Kawasaki+City%2C+Kanagawa+Prefecture%29+in+September+last+year.+The+following+October%2C+ENEOS+also+suspended+operations+at+its+Wakayama+refinery+%28Arida+City%2C+Wakayama+Prefecture%29.+Since+then%2C+%E2%80%9Cthe+supply+of+%3Cb%3Ecarbon+dioxide%3C%2Fb%3E+gas+for+welding+has+clearly+decreased%2C%E2%80%9C+according+to+the+same+source.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80In+fact%2C+in+December+of+the+same+year%2C+several+major+shipyards+experienced+temporary+delays+in+the+procurement+of+%3Cb%3Ecarbon+dioxide%3C%2Fb%3E+gas+for+welding.+The+impact+also+extended+to+shipyards+that+did+not+procure+the+gas+from+these+two+bases%2C+and+%E2%80%9Csupplies+from+other+sources+were+also+temporarily+halted+due+to+tight+supplies%2C%E2%80%9C+the+same+source+said.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80Production+of+%3Cb%3Ecarbon+dioxide%3C%2Fb%3E+for+welding+has+long+been+unbalanced%2C+being+high+in+the+west+and+low+in+the+east%2C+and+when+shipments+from+some+supply+sources+were+temporarily+halted+due+to+regular+maintenance+of+production+facilities%2C+there+have+been+cases+where+supply+and+demand+became+tight.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80As+a+result%2C+some+shipyards+are+scrambling+to+respond%2C+such+as+by+carrying+out+construction+work+to+double+the+storage+capacity+of+tanks+at+their+factories%2C+as+%E2%80%9Cit+is+certain+that+there+will+be+times+in+the+future+when+there+will+be+shortages+of+this+gas%E2%80%9C+%28the+same+source%29.+%3Cbr%3E%E3%80%80A+domestic+shipbuilding+industry+insider+commented%2C+%E2%80%9CUntil+now%2C+Japan%E2%80%99s+shipbuilding+industry+has+been+sustained+in+part+by+cooperation+with+other+heavy+industries+behind+the+scenes.+A+corner+of+heavy+industry+is+shrinking%2C+which+is+having+an+impact+on+unexpected+parts+of+shipbuilding.%E2%80%9C+%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%E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