The main bulk of CO2 emissions produced throughout the lifecycle of our construction equipment is centered on product operation, during which approximately 80 to 90% of emissions are produced. We have acknowledged this fact, and are working to reduce these operational emissions through three different initiatives: “DANTOTSU Products”, “DANTOTSU Service”, and “DANTOTSU Solutions”.
We provide products which have been designed to operate with great fuel efficiency while reducing gross CO2 emissions. Komatsu pioneered the creation and introduction of the hybrid hydraulic excavator, marked as the first of its kind to be introduced into the market.
These hybrid construction machines have been certified by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan as a “Low Carbon Type Construction Equipment.”
A total of 16 of our hybrid models have received such certification, such as the HB215-3, HB205-3, HB335-3, and HB365-3.
In addition to this, another 24 of our product models (including the bulldozer D71PX-24, the hydraulic excavator PC78US-11, the wheel loader WA150-8) have been certified to meet the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's “Construction Machines Fulfilling Fuel Economy Standards” signifying these products as construction equipment with great fuel efficiency.
The Komatsu Tracking System “Komtrax” is a system developed by Komatsu that automatically gathers the operational information/health information of our construction vehicles that operate all over the world, making it possible to then monitor/manage/analyze the vehicles remotely. Information with regards to operation times, fuel consumption, and other such relevant data is communicated to our customers via the internet, which is then analyzed to create opportunities for improvement. This enhanced operational efficiency helps to reduce fuel consumption, which results in a reduction in overall CO2 emissions.
In 2013, Komatsu introduced the world’s first automatic blade control ICT bulldozer, D61PXi-23, to the North American, European, and Japanese markets. Following this, in 2014, Komatsu developed and released a hydraulic excavator with semiautomatic control functions (PC210LCi-10 for North America and Europe, and PC200i-10 for Japan). Preliminary calculations based on in-house testing were promising, with construction data for ICT hydraulic excavators showing that fore-slope shaping work using the PC200i-10 resulted in an approximate reduction of 30% in fuel consumption. In addition, the same testing showed that ICT bulldozers (like the D61DXi-23) used in land preparation work resulted in an approximate reduction of 25% in fuel consumption. Our testing with hydraulic excavators also showcased a significant decrease in CO2 emissions.
To consolidate our efforts in this sector, Komatsu is implementing “Smart Construction”, a system that uses ICT-type construction machines alongside drones and 3D scanners to take real-time topography measurements. This initiative helps showcase the efficiency of our machines by recording progress in construction sites and other relevant performance indicators.
Komatsu has set the target of reducing the CO2 emissions from the operation of products (such as construction, mine, and forestry equipment) by 50% by FY2030 (compared to FY2010).
To evaluate progress toward this goal, we compared the performance of the current year’s products to the products of the reference year (FY2010) and estimated CO2 reductions through the improvement of fuel consumption and work efficiency. The products of FY2023 achieved a CO2 reduction of 22%, compared to the reference year.
CO2 emission index for product operationsIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
As part of our efforts to address climate change, Komatsu promotes activities to reduce CO2 emissions per unit of internal manufacturing value, using this as a key indicator, for all energy used in research, development, and production at our global locations, including electricity, gas, and oil.
In FY2023, energy-saving improvements focused on high-load plants in Japan and overseas (such as those for casting, forging, heat treatment, and machining), the expansion of solar and biomass power facilities, and increased purchases of green electricity overseas have significantly reduced our CO2 emissions per unit. Additionally, the proportion of renewable energy used in our electricity increased to 25%.
| Item | FY2022 | FY2023 | Target of FY2030 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO2 emissions basic unit (compared to FY2010) | 57 | 49 | 50 |
| The rate of renewable energy use | 17％ | 25％ | 50％ |
Japan
Overseas
Energy related CO2 emissionsIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
The amount and ratio of renewable electricityIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
Energy consumption
Independent Practitioner's Assurance
The Himi Plant produces cast components for construction machinery and is Komatsu's largest CO2-emitting plant. Since FY2019, a project team has been working on reducing CO2 emissions in the casting process, achieving over a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions per unit through energy-saving improvements.
The melting process of iron in casting is particularly energy-intensive and produces a large amount of CO2, accounting for about 40% of the plant's total CO2 emissions. This is due to the high electricity consumption for heating and the difficulty in improving product yield, which lowers efficiency.
Amid these challenges, by revising material shapes, improving riser injection, and enhancing directional solidification, it is expected that the molten metal yield for some parts will be improved by more than 20%, we are challenging to further reduce CO2 emissions.
(Basic unit of CO2 emissions per cargo weight)
Komatsu is promoting modal shift to use coastal vessels and railways in domestic transportation while enhancing transportation efficiency by improving the loading ratio. Additionally, to shorten transportation distances to ports for export products, we actively use Kanazawa and Hitachinaka ports close to our factories.
In FY2023, domestic modal shift improvements reduced the basic unit of CO2 emissions per cargo weight by 2 points from the previous year, achieving the target. However, overseas, a decrease in production volume led to a 3-point deterioration in the basic unit of CO2 emissions compared to the previous year.
Komatsu will continue to promote efficiency in both domestic and overseas transportation to reduce CO2 emissions associated with logistics.
CO2 emissions in transportIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
BKC (Thailand) has started transporting construction machinery using electric vehicles (EV trailers).
We transport Komatsu products exported to North America and Southeast Asia from factories to ports.
The fuel consumption of EV trailers used for transportation is about half that of conventional diesel engine vehicles, which not only reduces energy consumption during transportation, but also significantly reduces CO2 emissions.
We will monitor the situation and consider further expansion of these activities in the future, so that they will be evaluated as initiatives that enhance the value and image of a company that takes environmental measures into account.