ID :
19285
Fri, 09/12/2008 - 21:38
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/19285
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FOCUS: Eco-oriented high-tech plants blossoming in Kansai region
OSAKA, Sept. 12 Kyodo - Ecology-oriented high technology is flowing into the Kansai region following investments in the range of 1 trillion yen by electronic makers for the manufacture of flat-panel televisions and other products.
Major industrial companies with factories in the Kansai region, including Osaka, are aiming to turn out new high tech-based products related to new energy and energy saving as well as the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.
Sanyo Electric Co. commenced full-scale production of solar panels last month at its assembly plant in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, by renovating its mainstay washing machine plant.
Industry sources say the solar panels' efficiency in converting sunlight into electricity is the highest in the world and the panels can produce large amounts of power without occupying a large space.
After remaining sluggish following the discontinuation of state subsidies, the domestic market for power generation equipment revived suddenly with the announcement of the government's ''Fukuda vision'' to combat global warming, named after outgoing Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. The government also sharply increased subsidies to promote the spread of solar electric power generation.
Tetsuhiro Maeda, chief of Sanyo Electric's solar power project, said the company hopes that sales of its solar batteries will increase 2.5-fold over the next three years.
At its plant in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, Daikin Industries Ltd. is making ''Eco Cute'' energy-saving water heaters that employ ''heat pumps,'' the core technology of air conditioning that collect heat from the air by utilizing coolants.
In fiscal 2009, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. is scheduled to start producing fuel cells for home use, considered next-generation clean energy along with solar batteries, at its household appliance production hub in Kusatsu.
Sharp Corp. plans to invest enormous amounts of money for the production of ''thin layer,'' low-cost solar cells at its factories in Katsuragi, Nara Prefecture, and Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. Sanyo also plans to introduce a mass production line system for lithium-ion charging batteries for installation in hybrid vehicles at its plant in the town of Matsushige in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku.
The companies seem to have an edge over their rivals by maintaining their head offices in Osaka and research offices near their factories, enabling engineers to travel to and from the plants within a day.
Some of the companies, such as Matsushita's subsidiary Tatsuno Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. of Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, are conspicuous in their attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their factories.
Tatsuno actually manufactured a wattmeter to measure electricity consumption and installed the device at its plant. The device has helped to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 3 percent.
A company spokesman said the wattmeter encourages employees to work out ways to save energy.
Matsushita's Kusatsu factory is also working to reduce the time required to dry paint on manufactured products by shifting to quick drying paints.
Matsushita Electric Industrial President Fumio Otsubo said he will make further reductions in carbon dioxide emissions a pillar of his company's management strategy.
Major industrial companies with factories in the Kansai region, including Osaka, are aiming to turn out new high tech-based products related to new energy and energy saving as well as the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.
Sanyo Electric Co. commenced full-scale production of solar panels last month at its assembly plant in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, by renovating its mainstay washing machine plant.
Industry sources say the solar panels' efficiency in converting sunlight into electricity is the highest in the world and the panels can produce large amounts of power without occupying a large space.
After remaining sluggish following the discontinuation of state subsidies, the domestic market for power generation equipment revived suddenly with the announcement of the government's ''Fukuda vision'' to combat global warming, named after outgoing Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. The government also sharply increased subsidies to promote the spread of solar electric power generation.
Tetsuhiro Maeda, chief of Sanyo Electric's solar power project, said the company hopes that sales of its solar batteries will increase 2.5-fold over the next three years.
At its plant in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, Daikin Industries Ltd. is making ''Eco Cute'' energy-saving water heaters that employ ''heat pumps,'' the core technology of air conditioning that collect heat from the air by utilizing coolants.
In fiscal 2009, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. is scheduled to start producing fuel cells for home use, considered next-generation clean energy along with solar batteries, at its household appliance production hub in Kusatsu.
Sharp Corp. plans to invest enormous amounts of money for the production of ''thin layer,'' low-cost solar cells at its factories in Katsuragi, Nara Prefecture, and Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. Sanyo also plans to introduce a mass production line system for lithium-ion charging batteries for installation in hybrid vehicles at its plant in the town of Matsushige in Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku.
The companies seem to have an edge over their rivals by maintaining their head offices in Osaka and research offices near their factories, enabling engineers to travel to and from the plants within a day.
Some of the companies, such as Matsushita's subsidiary Tatsuno Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. of Tatsuno, Hyogo Prefecture, are conspicuous in their attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their factories.
Tatsuno actually manufactured a wattmeter to measure electricity consumption and installed the device at its plant. The device has helped to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 3 percent.
A company spokesman said the wattmeter encourages employees to work out ways to save energy.
Matsushita's Kusatsu factory is also working to reduce the time required to dry paint on manufactured products by shifting to quick drying paints.
Matsushita Electric Industrial President Fumio Otsubo said he will make further reductions in carbon dioxide emissions a pillar of his company's management strategy.
