CSR/Environment

Taiyo Nippon Sanso tabulates the quantities of PRTR substances that the Company and its affiliates handle or transfer along with emissions or waste generated by these substances, and the company aggressively promotes the management of these substances. To reduce emissions of these substances, Taiyo Nippon Sanso is currently studying measures such as the installation of equipment and effecting changes in its manufacturing processes.

• Reduce emissions of CFCs used for cleaning
• Reduce emissions of cooling CFCs used in air separation plants

Taiyo Nippon Sanso is aiming to reduce emissions of CFCs (HCFC-225, HCFC-141b, and methylene chloride) that are currently used for cleaning at Taiyo Nippon Sanso and at gas manufacturers operated and managed by the Company. CFCs for cleaning are mainly used for maintaining equipment at gas manufacturing facilities and for cleaning products used in particular aviation and aerospace applications. To reduce emissions of these chemicals, Taiyo Nippon Sanso is boosting its efforts to recover them after they have been used.
Since the quantities that are used fluctuate considerably from year to year, it is difficult to set numerical targets. Taiyo Nippon Sanso is therefore focusing on reducing emissions without setting mid- or long-term targets.

• Reduce quantities released into the atmosphere by recovering CFCs following use.
• Store CFCs in tightly sealed containers when they are not being used for cleaning.

CFCs (CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-114, HCFC-22, HCFC-123, and HFC-134a) are used as a refrigerant in the coolers of air separation plants at Taiyo Nippon Sanso and gas manufacturers operated and managed by the Company. Since emissions occur mainly with CFCs that are not recovered during maintenance work on coolers, Taiyo Nippon Sanso is reducing these emissions by taking greater care while coolers are being maintained. For small-scale air separation plants, Taiyo Nippon Sanso is pursuing the development and fresh installation of non-CFC models that do not use coolers; for large-scale air separation plants, the Company is upgrading their coolers to use HCF-134a, a substance with an ozone-depletion potential of zero. Since HFC-134a has a high global warming potential of 1,300, however, Taiyo Nippon Sanso is working on emission reduction to mitigate the serious impact it has on global warming.
The figures for FY2003 and FY2004 both show that Taiyo Nippon Sanso has attained its goal of reducing CFC emissions by 10% compared to FY2000. The Company has therefore set a goal of reducing emissions by 30% over FY2000 for each year from FY2005 to FY2010.

• Reduce leakage during maintenance work.
• Develop and upgrade to equipment that does not use CFCs.
• Upgrade to cooling equipment that uses alternate CFCs.