Japan's shipbuilding industry will gain competitive advantage in global markets by becoming the first nation to operationalize ammonia vessel fleets at scale.
Ammonia's development as a maritime fuel should be evaluated against concrete benchmarks for cost-competitiveness, safety, and net lifecycle emissions, published annually.
Small and medium-sized Japanese shipping companies cannot afford the conversion costs of ammonia-ready vessels, creating unfair competitive advantage for major shippers only.
Regional ammonia fuel corridors between Japan and East Asian ports would reduce emissions faster than waiting for globally standardized fuel solutions.
Whether ammonia or hydrogen is chosen, Japan must commit to long-term public funding for fuel supply infrastructure, not leave it to market forces alone.