Fukada Salvage & Marine Works

What Fukada Salvage & Marine Works does

Fukada Salvage & Marine Works (深田サルベージ建設株式会社) is a privately held Japanese marine services contractor founded in 1910 in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, with headquarters in Osaka. The company operates across six integrated service lines: marine salvage and emergency response, steel structure installation (notably bridge erection), offshore civil engineering (immersed tunnels, caissons, pipeline laying), ocean development (deep-sea surveys and resource exploration), offshore wind power construction, and towing/heavy cargo transportation. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts awarded via public tender and direct negotiation with government agencies (MLIT, JOGMEC, Tokyo Metropolitan Government) and large enterprises (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Tokyu Construction, JFE Engineering), with no publicly disclosed pricing.

Its competitive position rests on a capital-intensive fleet including Japan's largest heavy-lift crane vessel Musashi (3,700t) and sister vessels ranging from 2,050t to 3,000t, plus 3,000m-class ROV/AUV/seafloor-drill systems and proprietary construction technologies (Dry Method, Structure Transport System, Marine Transport Monitoring System). The company maintains 5 domestic emergency response bases, is the Japanese member of the International Salvage Union (ISU), and is investing in a new 850t digitalized crane vessel (Kirishima) scheduled for 2026 commissioning and a floating offshore wind towing/mooring partnership with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. Track record includes nearly all domestic immersed tunnel projects, the world's first seafloor hydrothermal ore lift from 1,600m depth for JOGMEC, and emergency recovery of the Kansai Airport Bridge after Typhoon Jebi.

Name

Fukada Salvage & Marine Works

Legal name

深田サルベージ建設株式会社

Website

https://fukasal.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Fukada Salvage & Marine Works is a Japanese marine services contractor founded in 1910, operating Japan's largest heavy-lift crane fleet for marine salvage, bridge erection, immersed tunnel construction, deep-sea resource exploration, and offshore wind installation for government and large enterprise clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Construction and Salvage Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Services-Miscellaneous Repair Services (7600)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Towage & Rescue (Refloating, Grounding Response) (IMAJANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Heavy Lift & Marine Recovery (Cranes, Lift Barges, Rigging) (IMAJANAC), Underwater Salvage & Diving Operations (UWILD, Cutting, Welding) (IMAJANAD), Salvage Engineering, Surveying & Claims Support (IMAJANAH)

Keywords

• Marine salvage services
• Heavy-lift marine construction
• Offshore civil engineering
• Deep-sea resource exploration
• Offshore wind installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Marine Salvage Services: Emergency maritime rescue, oil spill prevention, sunken vessel and aircraft search and recovery. Operates through 5 domestic bases with 24/7 emergency response capability. Revenue is project-based, driven by maritime accidents and government-mandated cleanup operations.
2. Steel Structure Installation: Bridge erection, quayside cargo equipment assembly and installation, shipyard block loading, and heavy cargo loading/unloading. Long-term project contracts for major infrastructure including Honshu-Shikoku Bridges and airport bridge repairs.
3. Offshore Civil Engineering: Caisson fabrication and installation, immersed tunnel towing and sinking, submarine pipeline laying, seabed dredging. Project-based revenue from port development, artificial island creation, and channel maintenance.
4. Ocean Development: Seabed topographic surveys, resource collection support, oceanographic survey support. Deep-sea resource exploration including manganese nodule collection (1997), seafloor hydrothermal mining pilot tests, and methane hydrate drilling. Revenue from government contracts and mining development projects.
5. Offshore Wind Power: Site investigation including CPT surveys using multipurpose vessels, foundation structure transport, marine construction for fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind turbines.
6. Towing & Heavy Cargo Transport: Overweight and oversized marine transport via semi-submersible barges (Float on/off), floating structure towing, offshore wind component transport. Domestic and international routes.
7. Vessel Charter and Joint Operations: Charter of crane vessels, barges, and survey vessels. Joint vessel ownership and operations with partners such as Mitsui O.S.K. Lines for offshore wind towing/mooring operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Fukada Salvage & Marine Works provides project-based marine services including emergency maritime rescue and salvage, heavy-lift bridge and steel structure installation using Japan's largest crane vessel fleet (up to 3,700t), offshore civil engineering (caissons, immersed tunnels, pipeline laying), deep-sea resource exploration using ROV/AUV systems down to 3,000m, and offshore wind farm construction support. The company operates six core service divisions and maintains 5 domestic emergency response bases across Japan.

Product overview

Fukada Salvage & Marine Works operates as a comprehensive marine services provider offering six core service divisions: Marine Salvage/Life-saving, Steel Construction Installation, Offshore Engineering, Ocean Development, Offshore Wind Power, and Towing/Heavy Cargo Transportation. The company maintains a fleet of crane vessels (including the 3,700t Musashi, 3,000t Fuji, 2,200t Suruga, 2,050t Kongou, and under-construction 850t Kirishima), research vessels (POSEIDON-1, Shinchoumaru), barges (14,500t Fukuyou, 6,500t Fukurei-6500), and advanced underwater equipment (ROV Hakuyou3000, AUV Deep1, sea floor drill UNICORE-1). The company also developed three proprietary technologies: Structure Transport System for crane operations, Marine Transport Monitoring System for barge cargo, and Dry Method for underwater construction. The portfolio spans from emergency marine rescue to large-scale infrastructure projects including bridge construction, immersed tunnels, and offshore wind installations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marine Salvage (海難救助／サルベージ)
• Steel Structure Installation (鉄構工事)

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully conducted the world's first seafloor hydrothermal ore mining and lifting pilot test, lifting ore from 1,600m depth
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (商船三井)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2025Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Fukada Salvage signed a memorandum of understanding for collaboration on floating offshore wind turbine towing and mooring operations vessels. The partnership aims to develop new vessel ownership and operation structures, and establish a mooring system procurement framework to support Japan's floating offshore wind market expected to expand in the 2030s. ISE and Fukada have also co-exhibited at Techno-Ocean 2018.
• IHI Transport Machinery Co., Ltd. (IHI運搬機械株式会社)coreTechnology or Integration · 14 February 2025Responsible for crane portion of the new 850t lifting crane vessel Kirishima under construction for Fukada Salvage, scheduled for 2026 commissioning.
• JMU Amtec Co., Ltd. (株式会社JMUアムテック)coreTechnology or Integration · 14 February 2025Responsible for hull construction of the new 850t lifting crane vessel Kirishima under construction for Fukada Salvage, scheduled for 2026 commissioning.
• JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2019Fukada Salvage has served as the lifting mother ship for JOGMEC's seafloor hydrothermal mining and lifting pilot test using POSEIDON-1, successfully lifting ore from 1,600m depth — a world first. Also participated in Japan's methane hydrate drilling survey program in the Japan Sea.
• Kawasaki Geo-Tech Co., Ltd. (川崎地質株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2014Joint AUV development team with Kawasaki Geo-Tech that won the 2014 Japan Hydrographic Association Waterway Technology Encouragement Award for developing the portable lightweight LARS and onboard primary processing software for the AUV Deep1.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Jan De Nul Group: Global maritime, offshore, and civil contractor with leading offshore wind installation capabilities — comparable to Fukada's offshore wind and seabed preparation services but with larger international fleet and balance sheet.
• DEME Group: Belgian marine contractor with offshore wind, dredging, and heavy-lift capabilities — comparable to Fukada's offshore wind installation and seabed civil engineering work but with significantly larger international footprint.
• Heerema Marine Contractors: Global heavy-lift offshore construction specialist operating some of the world's largest crane vessels — comparable to Fukada's crane vessel fleet and offshore wind/bridge installation work but with deeper international reach.
• Saipem S.p.A. Italian offshore engineering and construction major with deep subsea and offshore wind capabilities — comparable to Fukada's ocean development (ROV/AUV/drilling) and offshore wind service lines at materially larger global scale.
• Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors: Dutch marine contractor specializing in dredging, offshore wind foundations, and heavy marine construction — directly comparable to Fukada's offshore wind foundation work, immersed tunnel operations, and seabed preparation services.
• Boskalis Westminster N.V. Global marine services leader (parent of Smit Salvage) with dredging, offshore energy, and salvage operations worldwide — comparable to Fukada's salvage and heavy-lift capabilities but at materially larger global scale and capital base.

Direct peers

• Toyo Construction Co., Ltd. Major Japanese marine civil engineering contractor focused on port, harbor, and offshore construction projects — comparable to Fukada's Offshore Civil Engineering division across caisson installation, immersed tunnel work, and seabed dredging.
• Toa Corporation: Leading Japanese marine and civil engineering contractor with extensive bridge and offshore construction experience — comparable to Fukada's steel structure installation and marine heavy-lift operations, and a known counterparty on Shimachi Ohashi Bridge.
• Nippon Salvage Co., Ltd. Japan's other principal marine salvage company, providing wreck removal, oil spill response, and heavy-lift marine recovery services — directly comparable as a domestic peer for Fukada's core salvage and emergency response operations.
• Penta-Ocean Construction Co., Ltd. Top-tier Japanese marine contractor with deep capability in reclamation, ports, immersed tunnels, and offshore wind — directly comparable across Fukada's marine civil engineering, immersed tunnel, and offshore wind service lines.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/embed/y5HMYQOcsRk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fukada Salvage & Marine Works