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Conserving Energy and Preventing Global Warming
THK’s Medium- and Long-Term Targets for Carbon Neutrality
The world is facing risks driven by climate change from global warming, and in response, the THK Group has established medium- and long-term targets for lowering its emissions of greenhouse gases. (These targets were approved by the Board of Directors in August 2021.)
The entire THK Group will continue to work together to promote effective policies aimed at achieving a carbon-neutral society.
As necessary, updates on these efforts will be released in an appropriate manner.
Medium-Term Target
By 2030, reduce CO2 emissions to 50% of 2018 levels.
Scope: THK Japan and Group companies in Japan
2018 emissions: 106,514 tons
2030 target emissions: 53,257 tons
Long-Term Target
By 2050, achieve net-zero CO2 emissions.*
Scope: Entire THK Group
- *Net-zero emissions: Achieving a balance between man-made CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions and their removal by carbon sinks such as forests. (Source: Ministry of the Environment’s website)
Energy Conservation Initiatives
Reducing Energy Consumption and CO2 Emissions
The entire THK Group is working on energy-saving initiatives
to reduce our energy consumption and prevent global warming.
Our target is defined in terms of our energy consumption
rate (energy consumption/value added). Our actual rate was
0.807, so we were not able to hit our target of 0.549.
CO2 emissions (absolute emissions) from our 12 production
facilities in Japan totaled 75,382 tons in 2020. Furthermore,
in an effort to reduce energy use at our production
facilities, we have done the following:
- Upgraded to LED lighting (due to the coronavirus, we were not able to achieve 100% LED lighting in our 12 Japanese production facilities in 2020)
- Installed or upgraded equipment for higher efficiency
- Installed renewable energy equipment
- Actively utilized existing renewable energy equipment
- Implemented various creative energy conservation activities
- Monitored our usage of air conditioning and lighting
Please visit our homepage for details about our initiatives at each production facility.
- * Data covers the period from January to December.
Activities and Results
Initiatives for Green Distribution
Distribution departments at three of our distribution centers (Tokyo, Chubu, and Yamaguchi); three of our factory centers (Yamagata, Kofu, and Mie); and other production facilities (INTECHS Mishima, INTECHS Sendai, THK NIIGATA, THK RHYTHM Hamamatsu, THK RHYTHM Inasa, THK RHYTHM Kyushu, and NIPPON SLIDE) have done the following:
- Reducing CO2 emissions: modal shifts (switching from trucks to rail or sea transportation), consolidation of transportation trucks, and improvement of transportation efficiency
- Reducing environmental impact: transitioning to eco-friendly forklifts
- Reducing waste: initiating a Green Distribution Plan that includes utilizing returnable containers and reusing packing materials
In 2020, the amount of CO2 released by our transportation activities was 3,293 tons, a reduction from the 4,285 tons released in 2019. Conversely, our energy consumption rate (ratio of energy use to freight transport in ton-kilometers) increased by about 6.4%, from 63.4 in 2019 to 67.4. Please visit our homepage for details about our initiatives at each production facility.
- * Data covers the period from January to December.
- * Data was collected from five production facilities in Japan (Yamagata, Kofu, Gifu, Mie, and Yamaguchi); three distribution centers (Tokyo, Chubu, and Yamaguchi); and three factory centers (Yamagata, Kofu, and Mie).
Adopting LED Lighting
Due to the coronavirus, the original plans for switching to LED lighting were postponed at a number of production facilities. However, several plants did perform their lighting upgrades. The results are as follows.
Scroll left or right to view.
| Plant | Location | Time frame | Bulbs replaced | Reductions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric power (kWh) | ||||
| THK INTECHS Mishima | Factory 2 | 4/2020 | Fluorescent: 24 | 1,002 |
| Office Floor 1 Assembly Room 3 |
5/2020 | Fluorescent: 85 | 3,840 | |
| Factory 1 Assembly Room 1 |
6/2020 | Fluorescent: 16 | 5,583 | |
| Factory 1 rotary warehouse | 8/2020 | Fluorescent: 14 | 705 | |
| Factory 2 Floor 2 manufacturing office | 10/2020 | Fluorescent: 32 | 1,332 | |
| THK RHYTHM Hamamatsu |
Eastern 2/3 of machine factory lighting | 9–10/2020 | Fluorescent: 916 | 744,436 |
| Warehouse tent, loading dock, warehouse, etc. | 3/2020 | Fluorescent: 183 | 23,892 | |
| Assembly room | 6–7/2020 | Fluorescent: 100 | 7,232 | |
| THK RHYTHM Kyushu |
All Factory 1 lighting | 2–9/2020 | Fluorescent: 232 | 16,240 |
| Factory 1 ceiling crane lighting | 1–2/2020 | Mercury: 8 | 2,635 | |
| THK NIIGATA | Factory 1 and 3 straightening area |
4/2020 | Fluorescent: 80 | 2,887 |
| Parking lot | 12/2020 | Mercury: 2 | 2,113 | |
| TRA CZECH | Interior lighting | 7/2020 | Fluorescent: 759 | 478,611 |
| TMA | Parking lot | 7/2020 | Metal halide: 48 | 15,360 |
| THK Wuxi | Entrance | 10/2020 | Fluorescent: 16 | 1,156 |
| Distribution center | 10/2020 | Mercury: 8 | 964 | |
| Break room | 10/2020 | Mercury: 12 | 867 | |
| TRA Germany | Painting and shipping areas | Throughout 2020 | Fluorescent: 370 | 50,000 |
Efforts at Each Production Facility
Kofu Plant
Updating HVAC Equipment
In August 2020, the Kofu plant’s technical building upgraded its HVAC system from a heater-chiller using bunker A fuel oil to an electrical system. As a result, annual electricity use was reduced by 170 kWh, and the equivalent of 184 kL of crude oil was saved per year. Additionally, between January and October 2020, the HVAC system for the thermostatic chamber in Factories 3 and 4 was upgraded from a bunker A fuel oil system to an electrical one. This resulted in a reduction in energy consumption equivalent to 45.3 kL of crude oil per year.
Gifu Plant
Utilizing Small Air Conditioning Equipment
Starting in May 2020, the factory’s air conditioning equipment was switched from a chiller-heater to a chiller system. Since temperatures do not rise substantially during transitional seasons, limiting the flow of the air conditioner and bringing in outside air allowed the facility to reduce both its LNG use by 33.4 tons and electricity use by 165,877 kWh annually.
Utilizing an Inverter for the Absorption Chiller-Heater’s Coolant Pump
In September 2020, a system was set up that automatically sets the inverter frequency and controls the flow of coolant based on the operation signal from the chiller-heater for the Production Engineering Section’s heat-source room. As a result, annual electricity use was reduced by 94,710 kWh, and the equivalent of 24.4 kL of crude oil was saved per year.
Mie Plant
Saving Energy by Consolidating Equipment
In June 2020, dismantling the grinding area in Factory 4 allowed the Mie plant to consolidate the HVAC system and power generation equipment for lighting in the grinding factory building. As a result, the electricity use for the Factory 4 grinding area was reduced by 77,820 kWh per year, and annual fuel use was reduced from the previous level of 20 kL to 0 kL of crude oil equivalent.
Updating the Compressors
In October 2020, the grinding factory (specifically) made an upgrade to use three 55 kW compressors, reducing the number of units. As a result, annual electricity use was reduced by 523 kWh, and the equivalent of 133 kL of crude oil was saved per year.
Yamaguchi Plant
Renewable Energy Initiatives
Fifty-seven fluorescent bulbs are used to light the walkway between Factory 1 and Factory 7 for the safety of night workers. Internal technicians certified for Type 1 and Type 2 electrical work installed solar panels there in order to generate and store electricity during the day and reduce CO2 emissions.
The project was completed in March 2020, and it has reduced annual electricity use by 6,720 kWh and energy use by the equivalent of 1.73 kL of crude oil per year. The panels are also able to supply power as an emergency energy source, which makes them an effective system for the plant to supply itself with the power it needs as a BCP measure.
THK NIIGATA
Upgrading to Inverter Oil Cooling Units
In May 2020, THK NIIGATA made an upgrade to use two inverter oil cooling units in Factory 3 (for shaft groove grinders). As a result, annual electricity use was reduced by 5,876 kWh, and the equivalent of 1.5 kL of crude oil was saved per year.
Repairing the Waterproof Sheet on the Office Roof
The waterproof sheet on the roof of the general office space was getting old and peeling up at the corners, which created the risk of leaks. Therefore, it was replaced with a new heat-insulating and waterproofing material, with work on the project completing in November 2020. As a result, they achieved a reduction in annual electricity use of 1,723 kWh, and the equivalent of 0.4 kL of crude oil was saved per year.
THK RHYTHM Hamamatsu Plant
Installing Heat-Insulating Covers
In February 2020, heat-insulating covers were installed onto the 12 injection molding machine heaters used in Manufacturing Section I (bearing production lines) in order to reduce the heat they emit. As a result, annual electricity use was reduced by 11,340 kWh, and the equivalent of 2.9 kL of crude oil was saved per year.
Eliminating the Centrally Controlled Compressor
In February 2020, the Hamamatsu plant began using a system with a Bebicon compressor (a 3.7 kW or smaller portable compressor) to supply air to lines running on weekends in order to eliminate the need to use the centrally controlled compressor. As a result, annual electricity use was reduced by 1,542,564 kWh, and the equivalent of 39.8 kL of crude oil was saved per year.
LPG Reduction
In order to reduce the amount of fuel used for the steam boiler in the plastic tub washing area, the heat insulation of the washer’s steam pipes was improved in February 2020. As a result, annual LPG use was reduced by 240 m3.
THK MANUFACTURING OF CHINA (WUXI)
Controlling Air Conditioning with Timers
Between July and September 2020, the air conditioning for the production and administrative offices, break rooms, equipment maintenance office, heat treating inspection room, gatekeeper post, and distribution center office was put on a timer to allow the times when the system was running to be controlled remotely. In doing so, annual electricity use was reduced by 120,000 kWh.
TMA
Updating HVAC Equipment
TMA upgraded seven of the link ball factory’s rooftop HVAC units in September 2020. As a result, annual electricity use was reduced by 61,486 kWh, and the equivalent of 15.77 kL of crude oil was saved per year.
Air Pressure Reduction
Starting April 2020, the air pressure used in the LM Guide and link ball manufacturing facilities was reduced from 100 psi to 95 psi. As a result, annual electricity use was reduced by 519,432 kWh, and the equivalent of 133.19 kL of crude oil was saved per year.
TRA Germany Plant
Switch Equipment
Throughout 2020, equipment was installed to turn off the switches for machinery not being run at night or during weekends or holidays. As a result, annual electricity use was reduced by 140,000 kWh, and CO2 emissions decreased by 35 tons per year.
TRA CZECH Plant
Forklift Upgrade
In 2020, two diesel forklifts were replaced with lithium-ion battery-powered versions. As a result, they were able to reduce annual CO2 emissions by 16,200 kg.
