The main bulk of CO2 emissions produced throughout the lifecycle of our construction equipment is centered on product operation, during which approximately 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 2021, 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 (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 FY2020 achieved a CO2 reduction of 14%, compared to the reference year.
CO2 emission index for product operationsIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
In December 2020, Komatsu launched the PC1250-11R, a large hydraulic excavator that incorporates the latest technologies. Equipped with a new engine that was developed in-house, this launch signifies a transition to a new model of Komatsu 120-ton hydraulic excavator that inherits its core performance and strength on the market from its predecessor, the PC1250-8, while also achieving improvements in fuel efficiency, safety and ICT features such as KOMTRAX Plus, in addition to greater productivity and safety. The introduction of a new engine increases the power output of the excavator’s engine. The work modes include the conventional Power (P) and Economy (E) modes, and the excavator also includes a new Power Plus (P+) mode, which is suitable for high-load operations. This increases the excavator’s productivity (workload) by 8% over the previous models in the P mode. The engine’s fuel efficiency has been improved, along with a reduction of the losses in the hydraulic circuit and the incorporation of a highly efficient cooling system and an automatic idling stop function. This has led to a 6% improvement in fuel efficiency versus conventional models even when used in Power (P) mode. The PC1250-11R is equipped with the KomVision camera system enabling multi-directional visibility around the machine to increase safety and comfort for operators in harsh stone crushing and mining worksites. Hydraulic stairway is also available as a new optional feature.
Komatsu has brought PC78US-11/PC88MR-11, a new seven-ton-class small hydraulic excavator to market. This high performance, highly functional and fuel efficient vehicle is equipped with an all new, high-performance 3D95 engine. Developed in-house for the first time in 35 years, this engine significantly improves vehicle performance. The 3D95 engine complies with the latest exhaust gas regulations imposed in Japan, the United States and Europe. Further, it enables the vehicle to achieve dramatic fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions through the 8% reduction of fuel consumption at its rated output versus conventional engines. The smaller size of the engine helps decrease the number of components by 27%. The creation of a maintenance free exhaust gas aftertreatment device that requires no cleaning in Japan and the United States and significantly extends the cleaning interval in Europe contributes to the reduction of the environmental impact of the engines throughout their lifecycles. We also conduct more than 10,000 hours of tests to ensure the superior quality and reliability that Komatsu engines have traditionally been known for. The machine’s downtime has also been reduced to increase the productivity of worksites where they operate.
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 FY2019, we set new mid- and long-term objectives globally and have been promoting improvement activities.
Until the third quarter of FY2020, production decreased both in Japan and overseas due to decreasing demand for construction/mine machinery and COVID-19, resulting in a decrease in CO2 emissions. Despite this, the sharp expansion of production in the fourth quarter led to a slight increase in the unit per internal manufacturing value versus the previous year.
Thanks to energy-saving activities in casting and forging processes, which emit a lot of CO2, new solar power plants, and green electricity purchases, the CO2 emission intensity per internal manufacturing value was reduced 33%, compared to FY2010, which achieved the FY2020 objective of a 31% reduction.
In addition, the usage rate of renewable energy increased to 13%, achieving the FY2020 objective (12% or higher) due to purchases of green electricity mainly in Europe and the U.S.
We aim to reduce CO2 emission intensity in FY2021 and later, focusing on the CO2 emission reduction project for casting and forging processes.
| Item | FY2019 | FY2020 | Target of FY2030 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
CO2 Emissions Basic Unit (compared FY2010) |
67 |
67 |
50 |
|
The rate of renewable energy use |
11％ |
13％ |
50％ |
Japan
Overseas
CO2 EmissionsIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
The amount and ratio of renewable energy
Independent Practitioner's Assurance
Energy consumptionIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
Komatsu is also introducing renewable energy with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions. In 2015, a biomass cogeneration system began operating fully at the Awazu Plant in collaboration with the local forestry cooperative. After that, in 2020, the Ibaraki Plant also started using biomass in its biomass boiler that uses high-quality wooden chips with lower water content. The heat obtained from combustion is used to control the air temperature at welding worksites. By doing this, the plant has shifted from conventional, electricity-based air temperature control and reduced CO2 emissions by about 138 tons a year. The plant partners with the Ibaraki Pref. Federation of Forest Owners' Co-operative Association for the wood chips that it uses, utilizing the prefecture’s underutilized timber from forest thinning. This is a sustainable business practice that helps revitalize the local forestry industry. Going forward, the plant is planning to introduce a power generation facility that uses biomass gasification to further reduce CO2 emissions. This will involve obtaining fuel by gasifying the wooden chips to generate power. In this way, the plant will stimulate the utilization of local forest resources and increase the percentage of renewable energy in its production activities as it pushes forward with efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and address ESG issues at the same time.
About 88% of the CO2 emissions from the Komatsu (Changzhou) Construction Machinery Corp. (KCCM) plant in China are from the consumption of electric power. KCCM continues its power conservation efforts and believes that the introduction of renewable energy is a mid- and long-term priority activity for the reduction of CO2 emissions. KCCM requested a specialist to calculate the strength of its plant’s roof and has implemented five projects to install 3.2-megawatt photovoltaic power generation systems from 2019 to 2021. In 2020, the plant completed the installation of equipment at three facilities capable of generating a total of 1.6 MW. The three facilities began generating power in January, May, and October. As of March 2021, a total of about 1,010 MWh has been generated since the facilities began operating in January 2020. In FY2020, about 13% of all electricity consumed by the plant was generated by photovoltaic power generators, contributing to significant reduction of CO2 emissions. KCCM will install an additional 1.6-megawatt photovoltaic power generation facility and continue to encourage the use of renewable energy.
(Basic Unit of CO2 Emissions per Cargo Weight: kg-CO2/ton)
Domestically, we have continued to focus on reducing transportation distance by increasing the utilization rate of Kanazawa and Hitachi Naka Ports (which are located adjacent to manufacturing plants), as well as improving long distance and overland transportation through the use of coastal vessels and railways (modal shift). In FY2020, these efforts led to an improvement in the basic unit index (CO2 emission intensity per workload) of 1.5% versus FY2019.
Overseas, we had a 3.6% improvement versus FY2019 as the modal shift progressed well in North America.
CO2 Emissions in TransportIndependent Practitioner's Assurance
Komatsu strongly promotes the modal shift. This fiscal year, we reviewed the way components are sent from the Oyama Plant to the Awazu Plant. We resumed JR freight transportation (Utsunomiya Terminal → Osaka Terminal → Kanazawa Terminal), which we expect will substantially reduce the burdens on truck drivers and significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Consequently, about 35% of the components bound for Awazu have been switched to transportation via JR freight by the end of the fiscal year. This led to a 421 tons/year reduction of CO2 emissions and emissions from domestic transportation were reduced by 2.1%.
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 gathered by 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.
The calculation was performed as follows.
Calculation of Emissions from Customer Use
(1) Calculate the following by each model
CO2 emissions over the life of each model
= (Production Volume for reported fiscal year) × (Fuel Consumption; L/kWh) × (Engine Output; kW)
× (Engine Life; as product life; h) × (CO2 Conversion Factor)
※Data for fuel consumption（L/KWh）was collected using KOMTRAX as a representative model.
(2) Total these values, calculated for each model in (1) above
For others, including the 14 remaining categories, general CO2 emissions was calculated. The result is shown in the pie chart below.
(Amount of CO2 Emissions by Scope3) Independent Practitioner's Assurance
As evident from the results above, emissions during product use make up approximately 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 25%) and DANTOTSU products (over 10% improvement in fuel efficiency). In addition to this, we are accelerating the development and implementation of our ICT-based SMART CONSTRUCTION business.
In addition, the results of our assessments regarding LCA * 1 (Life Cycle Assessment) can be found in the pie chart below.
«Reference» Pie Chart of Scope1, 2, 3Independent Practitioner's Assurance
