Global-Warming Countermeasures

In fiscal 2013, energy use in the Iron & Steel Business increased by 5.2% year-on-year, while CO₂ emissions increased by 5.9%, in part due to an increase in production volume. Compared to the base year (1990), the energy consumption rate per ton of crude steel improved by 16.7%, while the CO₂ emissions rate improved by 16.4%.

Aiming for even greater efficiency of its private power station, the Kakogawa Works is in the process of constructing a second high efficiency gas turbine.

At other locations, meticulous efforts are being carried out to increase the efficiency of pumps and fans, improve the operation of heating furnaces, and otherwise reduce loss.

In the future, we will continue to implement energy conservation measures and reduce environmental impact, striving to achieve industry targets described in Nippon Keidanren's Commitment to a Low Carbon Society.

Installation of gas turbine

Iron & Steel Business (デュエルビッツ 評判teel)
Energy Consumption/Energy Consumption Rate Index (Preliminary Calculations)

Iron & Steel Business (デュエルビッツ 評判teel)
CO₂ Emissions/CO₂ Emissions Rate Index (Preliminary Calculations)

Kobelco Logistics, Ltd. has eliminated idling stops for the diesel locomotives thatoperate at the Kakogawa Works. Kobelco Logistics is the first company in the steel industry to achieve this goal.

Eliminating idling has reduced fuel consumption by approximately 25%, CO₂ emissions by approximately 1,100 tons, and fuel costs by as much as ¥25 million per year.

Products and materials at the Works are largely transported by locomotive. The Works' on-site rails stretch approximately 62km in total, with around 30 cars in operation at any one time. The cars transport molten iron and steel, finished products, and semi-finished goods 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Diesel engines at steelworks generally remain idling even in standby. This leads to unnecessary CO₂ emissions. In light of global warming and the rising price of fuel, engine idling poses a significant burden both in environmental and financial terms.

In response to this issue, Kobelco Logistics has made its own improvements to the diesel locomotive control system, introducing a feature to turn off engines when locomotives are stopped. While examples exist of railway companies introducing anti-idling features for hybrid trains, this is the first time that full engine stopping has been made possible for purely diesel-driven cars.

Diesel locomotive with
anti-idling feature