We met all voluntary reduction targets laid out in the Second Three-Year Environmental Plan thanks to active efforts at the Shiga Plant, Chiba Plant, and other facilities to convert from fuel oil to city gas.
Toray Group met the reduction targets laid out in the Second Three-Year Environmental Plan with FY 2006 emissions of SOx and NOx each falling by 12% and emissions of dust rising by 2%. The conversion of fuel oil boilers at the Shiga Plant and Chiba Plant to use city gas enabled particularly significant reductions in SOx and dust emissions.
Efforts to switch to low-sulfur fuels and strengthen operational management at Japanese subsidiaries and affiliates helped lower emissions compared to the previous fiscal year.
At overseas subsidiaries and affiliates, aggressive efforts over the last two or three years to convert boiler operation from fuel oil to natural gas at companies in Southeast Asia drove dramatic reductions of 56% for SOx, 50% for NOx, and 56% for dust compared to the base year FY 2001.
As a result, the entire Group posted significant reductions of 52% for SOx, 39% for NOx, and 53% for dust compared to the base year (Toray: 1998; Japanese and overseas subsidiaries and affiliates: 2001).
Natural gas boiler at the Mishima Plant
During FY 2006, boilers at the Shiga Plant were converted to city gas began operation in November 2006, reducing the environmental impact of Toray operations by cutting emissions of SOx by 338 tons, NOx by 89 tons, and dust by 7 tons over approximately six months of use.
Starting in FY 2007, yearround operation of the Shiga Plant's city gas boilers and the conversion from heavy fuel oil to city gas at the Mishima Plant (operational in July 2007) are expected to further reduce SOx emissions over FY 2006 levels by 360 tons at the Shiga Plant and 800 tons at the Mishima Plant. Overall Group emissions are expected to decrease by 56% compared to FY 2006 levels.
Measurement of exhaust gas concentrations at Penfabric Sdn. Berhad
FY 2006 saw a dramatic reduction in emissions in Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia due primarily to the completion of efforts to convert companies with high atmospheric emissions to the use of natural gas. We plan to continue working aggressively to convert equipment to natural gas use.
We checked measurement of exhaust gas concentrations for companies in Southeast Asia and China using the instrumental analysis method, and we are working to enhance operational management.
