Home > About Us > Sustainability Management > Sustainability Report > Sustainability Report 2011 > Striving to Become an Advanced Environmental Enterprise through Environmental Management
We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our corporate activities and have set out three goals based on our Basic Environmental Management Policy. We are determined to become an advanced environmental enterprise through environmental management involving all Kobe Steel Group employees. In addition to engaging in environmentally friendly production activities, we also contribute to society by providing advanced "Only One" products, technologies and services and by interacting with the public.
The first commercial ITmk3® Plant commenced operations in the U.S. state of Minnesota in 2010. This third-generation ironmaking process uses underutilized raw materials – iron ore fines and non-coking coal – to make high-purity iron nuggets. We intend to supply the same technology to other countries around the world in the future.
We recycle slag produced during the ironmaking process and turn it back into reusable resources, including bedding materials for road construction and raw materials for cement. Slag is also used to make artificial reefs, which provide a habitat for seaweed and fish.
We implement a range of measures designed to save energy and reduce air emissions at our production sites, in an effort to reduce their environmental impact. In fiscal 2010, we installed the latest desulfurization and denitration equipment at our Kakogawa Works.
Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. has developed hydraulic excavators that consume 20% less fuel thanks to their Auto Idle Stop feature. These machines have been registered under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's New Technology Information System (NETIS).
The Biotope at Nadahama Science Square, Kobe Steel's community exchange facility, has been singled out for recognition based on the role it plays in local environmental education.
