Displaying items by tag: Japan

Japan: Ofunato biomass power plant began generating electricity on 1 January 2020. The 75MW plant is the result of a 65:35 partnership between Taiheiyo Cement and electrical engineering firm Elex formed in July 2016, with a total investment of US$36.5m. It will primarily burn coconut matter to provide electricity for sale and supply to Taiheiyo Cement’s 1.9Mt/yr integrated Ofunato plant. Taiheiyo Cement says that its will generate 520,000MWh/yr, replacing fossil fuels responsible for 0.3Mt/yr of CO2 emissions.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement has installed an ash washing facility at a waste incineration plant in Kumagaya, Saitama prefecture for desalination and lowering of chloride content. After rinsing, the installation will supplement cement production at Taiheiyo Cement’s 1.8Mt/yr integrated Kumagaya plant with up to 69,400t/yr of ash. The total cost of investment was US$7.17m.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement made a net profit of US$150m in the six months to 30 September 2019. This was a fall from US$160m in the same period of 2018. Its revenue for the same period of the 2019 fiscal year was US$395m, a fall from US$402m a year earlier. For the full year to 31 March 2020, Taiheiyo forecasts a net profit of US$570m.

Japan: Sumitomo Osaka Cement has recorded sales of US$1.10bn in the six months to 30 September 2019, down by 0.9% from US$1.11bn in the corresponding period of 2018. In spite of this, as well as high fuel costs and an upgrade to its Shimizu cement terminal during the period, it increased its six-month profit by 7.5% to US$57.8m in the six months to 30 September 2019 from US$53.8m in the corresponding period of 2018.

Japan: Taiheyo Cement’s 1.4Mt/yr integrated Saitama cement plant is to receive a 53,000MWh/yr waste heat recovery (WHR) unit. The company says that the installation, which will become operational in September 2022, will reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by roughly 27,000t/yr.

China: Taiwan Cement has published information on behalf of its shipping subsidiary Ta-Ho Maritime concerning the latter’s purchase of two 84,000t capacity bulk carrier vessels at a price not exceeding US$70m from Japan-based shipbuilder Sumitomo. The deal contains an option to purchase a third unit for not more than US$35m, to be exercised before 30 September 2019.

South Korea: The Korea Cement Association (KCA) says its members will increase the use of coal ash from local thermal power plants or source alternative raw materials from domestic clay mines. The decision follows a trade dispute between South Korea and Japan, according to the Aju Business Daily newspaper.

The Environment Ministry started to tighten rules concerning the import of coal ashes from Japan in August 2019 citing fears of radioactive and heavy metal contamination. Importers are now required to submit an authorised radioactive inspection report and the analysis of heavy metal components. The KCA said its members use 3.15Mt/yr of coal ash and 1.28Mt/yr is imported from Japan.

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement’s sales fell by 2.1% year-on-year to US$1.94bn in the quarter to 30 June 2019 from US$1.99bn in the same period in 2018. Its profit dropped by 37.6% to US$58.7m from US$94.1m. It blamed falling sales on the end of construction booms linked to preparations for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, earthquake reconstruction work and the construction of Yatsuba Dam. Exports also fell.

Japan: UBE Machinery Corporation has signed a license agreement for the design, manufacture and commissioning of vertical roller mills for cement plants and related applications on exclusive basis with India’s AMCL Machinery for markets in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. The deal was signed in late May 2019. This license agreement has been signed to explore ‘mutual cooperation and opportunities’ between UBE Machinery Corporation and AMCL Machinery.

AMCL Machinery is part of Hindusthan National Glass & Industries. It manufactures vertical roller pre-grinding mills for cement plants in India and the Middle East. It also produces rubber and tyre building machines for the local tyre industry.

US: The Japan Coal Energy Center (JCOAL), GreenOre Clean Tech, Columbia University and Wyoming Infrastructure Authority (WIA) have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to test carbon utilisation and recycling technology. GreenOre Clean Tech, using technology under license from Columbia University, will use testing space at the Integrated Test Center (ITC) near the Dry Fork Station coal-fired power station in Gillette, Wyoming. Calcium carbonate produced through CO₂ mineralisation could then potentially be used for aggregates, concrete production or in paper production. The test will be funded by JCOAL with additional support from project partners.

The State of Wyoming and JCOAL have been working together since 2016, when they signed an initial MOU committing to cooperation in coal research and development of technologies and coal trade. JCOAL operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and is supported by more than 120 member coal-related businesses, including Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Nippon Steel and Toshiba. Kawasaki is scheduled to test its solid sorbent capture technology at the ITC beginning in 2021.