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Commitment to Zero Emission |
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| Honda is committed to the efficient use of
resources, materials, and energy for production without waste, thereby reducing
the CO2 emissions that cause global warming. We
are improving our facilities and production methods by introducing natural gas
cogeneration systems and by improving our production lines to reduce the environmental
impacts caused by our factories and to make them the most energy efficient in
the world. |
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![Honda’s energy saving target in the production domain in Japan:
To reduce energy intensity by 15% by 2001 (compared with 1990 levels) [already achieved]
To reduce energy intensity by 30% by 2010 (compared with 1990 levels)](image/title_03.gif) |
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To reduce the emission of air pollutants such as CO2, NOx, and SOx from our factories, Honda has been switching its fuel source to natural gas, which represents one of the clean energies. Further, we generate energy to supplement the electricity purchased from power plants, while carefully controlling CO2 emissions.
In a cogeneration system, an engine, such as a gas turbine, runs a generator to generate electricity and the gas exhausted from the engine is also used as a source of energy. The heat from the exhaust gas is used to generate steam, which is in turn used for multiple purposes, including use in air conditioners. In the case of electricity purchased from power plants, approximately 60% of the electricity is lost in the generation or transmission process. In a cogeneration system, however, such loss is minimized and higher energy efficiency can be achieved.
Since 1998, we have introduced a cogeneration system powered by natural gas to the Suzuka and Saitama Factories, thereby reducing their CO2 emissions and improving their waste heat recovery efficiency and power generation efficiency. |
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In addition to reducing the environmental impact caused by
the generation of energy, it is also necessary to use generated energies in the
production processes efficiently and without waste. Honda started to improve its
production lines in 1999, including increasing the number of models that could
be produced by a single production line. We are now improving the production lines
at our factories all over the world in order to reduce the environmental impact
caused by our production activities.
Specifically, for welding, coating, and assembling, we have introduced new technologies
and reviewed the processes for the promotion of energy saving. For example, in
the welding process, we replaced hydraulic robots, which had been operated constantly,
with electric servo robots, which can be operated only as required. We thereby
reduced the energy consumed by the welding robots to less than half, and, furthermore,
shortened the time required for welding. As a result, the total CO2
emissions from the entire welding process have been reduced by 20% compared with
the level before the aforementioned improvements were made. Regarding the coating process, we simplified the layout of the lines and the manufacturing processes and aggressively introduced advanced technologies to improve the production efficiency and total energy efficiency. We also started to use water-based paints for intermediate and finish coatings, improved the coating efficiency and recovery of thinners used for washing and integrated the lines to reduce VOC emissions. As a result of these structural reforms, CO2 emissions from the production process have been reduced by approximately 35% compared with 2000. |
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At the Hosoe Plant of the Hamamatsu Factory constructed in September 2001 for
producing outboard engines, a variety of devices and technologies are introduced
to improve energy efficiency. For example, multiple models can be now manufactured
by a single production line more speedily and easily. By advanced management
of the production system and space, both efficient production and comfortable
environment for workers are achieved at the plant. Also, the
next-generation thin film solar cells that Honda has independently developed
are attached to the plant’s roof for solar power generation. By the improvement
of efficiency and introduction of advanced technologies, the plant has reduced
its consumption of electricity to almost a half of that of traditional plants. The Kumamoto Factory has also introduced a solar power generation system. |
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