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.”
As of April 2022, 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 23 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 FY2021 achieved a CO2 reduction of 19%, compared to the reference year.
CO2 emission index for product operationsIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
Komatsu launched the PC01E-1 electric micro excavator, developed jointly with Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (hereafter “Honda”) , as a rental model, in Japan in March 2022.
Komatsu and Honda had developed the PC01E-1 by successfully electrifying the PC01 conventional micro excavator through the incorporation of the Honda Mobile Power Pack e:*1 (hereafter “swappable mobile battery”) and Honda eGX electrified power unit. The conventional model is typically used very close to people, trees and flowers for pipe-laying work, gardening, agriculture, livestock and the like. As a result of electrification, the PC01E-1 model not only reduces noise and exhaust heat substantially, but also enables eco-friendly, comfortable work in either indoor or outdoor environments, thanks to no exhaust gas. As the batteries are swappable, customers can continue work simply by exchanging them. As its new electric motor offers high performance even in low revolutions, the PC01E-1 model achieves more excavation than the conventional model in low revolutions. As there is no engine installed, customers will no longer need engine-related maintenance or fueling, dynamically reducing daily inspection and maintenance work for them.
As a part of our efforts to mitigate climate change, Komatsu aims to proactively reduce the amount of CO2 emissions per unit, using CO2 emissions per unit of manufacturing value as our main indicator for the amount of electricity, gas, oil and other types of energy used in research/development at our offices and in manufacturing operations.
In FY 2021, CO2 emissions from production activities increased both in Japan and overseas due to the expansion of the production of construction and mine machinery. However, thanks to new photovoltaic facilities, green electricity purchases, and energy-saving activities mainly at plants with high loads, such as those that perform casting, forging, heat treatment, and machining processes, the CO2 emissions basic unit per internal manufacturing value was reduced by 7% from the previous year. This is the largest reduction in recent years and a 37% reduction compared with FY 2010.
We also increased the proportion of our renewable energy use to 14%.
We will continue to actively engage in improvement activities to reduce our CO2 emissions basic unit.
| Item | FY2020 | FY2021 | Target of FY2030 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CO2 Emissions Basic Unit (compared FY2010) | 70 | 63 | 50 |
| The rate of renewable energy use | 13％ | 14％ | 50％ |
Japan
Overseas
CO2 EmissionsIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
The amount and ratio of renewable energy Independent Practitioner's Assurance
Energy consumptionIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
At Komatsu Himi No. 1 Plant, a chemical solution was used to remove internal sand from hydraulic castings with complex internal geometries. This process involves removing sand by immersing the castings in a high-temperature chemical solution. It expends a large amount of LPG to maintain the solution temperature, consumes water for cleaning, and generates industrial waste. Although this method has environmental and safety risks, it was initially selected as the appropriate approach because it can be applied to clean surfaces of any shape and can be used to clean small lots of many different products.
To overcome the challenges associated with using a chemical solution, we introduced a new technology, waterjet (hereafter “WJ” ) cleaning, which removes sand using high-speed water jet and cavitation. WJ eliminated the need to use LPG to maintain the temperature of the chemical cleaning solution, thereby reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 934 tons per year. Water consumption was reduced by approximately 12,000m3 per year by using a circulating system for cleaning water. Industrial waste after treatment was reduced by approximately 42 tons per year. The need to use chemicals was also eliminated, reducing environmental and safety risks. The Himi Plant will continue to promote improvements in order to reduce CO2 emissions and contribute to overcoming ESG issues.
【AGVと林業機械（フォワーダ－）】
Komatsu Group has completed the construction of a new plant, Komatsu Forest AB (hereafter “Komatsu Forest”), which began production in 2021. Komatsu Forest engages in the manufacture and sale of forest machinery in Umea, Sweden. The new plant consolidates production plants that were previously scattered around the city of Umea into a single location to optimize the production process and logistics. In addition, new production technologies, including the installation of Komatsu’s first automatic towing assembly line utilizing automated guided vehicles (AGVs), were employed. Furthermore, the new plant installed renewable energy supply facilities, such as approximately 19,000 m2 of solar panels and a geothermal heating system.
Komatsu aims to become carbon neutral by 2050. As part of these efforts, we have focused on achieving sustainable forestry in the forest industry. This involves both harvesting and planting and growing trees. We are also engaged in safe forestry operations by mechanizing harvesting work and promoting smart forestry that analyzes data measured by drones and subsequently utilizing the insights gained in forest management. Komatsu Forest is the core base of our forest machine business for machine development and production. By launching production at the new plant, Komatsu will accelerate its carbon-neutral efforts as we work to strengthen and expand our forest machine business.
(Basic Unit of CO2 Emissions per Cargo Weight: kg-CO2/ton)
Domestically, we have focused on reducing transportation distance by increasing the utilization rate of Kanazawa and Hitachi Naka Ports (which are located adjacent to manufacturing plants), improving long distance and overland transportation through the use of coastal vessels and railways (modal shift), and improving the loading ratio. Although the increase in production volume in FY 2021 led to an increase in transportation volume, the CO2 emissions basic unit index (per cargo weight) for transportation improved by 10 points compared with the previous year both in Japan and overseas.
We will continue our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions by promoting more efficient transportation.
CO2 Emissions in TransportIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
Komatsu promotes modal shift to reduce CO2 emissions during transportation. In FY 2021, we improved the modal shift in the transportation of product vehicles from the Tochigi Plant (manufacturing plant for forklift trucks and mini construction machinery) to dealers in the Kinki region by combining the conventional overland transportation by truck with marine transportation via the nearest port. Specifically, we combined ocean transport from Chiba Port in Chiba Prefecture to Sakai-Semboku Port in Osaka Prefecture, and land transport from the factory to the port and from the port to each dealer. As a result of this modal shift, we decreased the number of trucks used for transportation from the factory to the port by loading multiple products in one truck. This improvement has reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 50%.
Modal Shift by Coastal Vessels in Japan
In addition to CO2 emissions from production / sales / service etc., Komatsu aims to collate data regarding CO2 emissions from our entire supply chain, and reduce CO2 emissions. For that purpose, Scope 3 CO2 emissions are calculated each year.
Scope1:CO2 directly discharged from Komatsu (e.g. CO2 emissions during fuel combustion)
Scope2:Indirect emissions of CO2 due to energy use in Komatsu (e.g. CO2 emissions produced at power generation due to use of purchased electricity)
Scope3:Other indirect CO2 emissions
(Example) Upstream: CO2 etc. generated during manufacturing of purchased items
Komatsu: Transportation ・CO2 emissions occurring during commuting, business trips etc.
Downstream: CO2 emissions produced when using products, such as construction machinery
From live data of Komtrax, Komatsu has gained perspective on the amount of CO2 emissions (Scope 3 Category 11) produced by our products manufactured in reported fiscal year in operation world-wide.
For others, including the remaining categories, general CO2 emissions was estimated. The result is shown in the pie chart below.
(Amount of CO2 Emissions by Scope3)
Pie Chart of Scope3 Independent Practitioner's Assurance
As evident from the results above, emissions during product use make up approximately 80 to 90% of total emissions.
From this, we can see that fuel-efficient products have a significant effect on reducing CO2 emissions.
Komatsu is committed to developing hybrid construction machinery (improving fuel efficiency by approx. 25%) and DANTOTSU products (over 10% improvement in fuel efficiency), as well as electric construction machinery.
In addition, the results of our assessments regarding Scope1,2,3 can be found in the pie chart below.
«Reference» Pie Chart of Scope1, 2, 3Independent Practitioner's Assurance
