Machinery, Natural Resources and Engineering

Our SD Series of steam-driven air compressors were first launched in the market in April 2009, as part of a joint development project with Miura Co., Ltd. Air compressors are generally used for utility purposes, to generate compressed air for everything from manufacturing plants to public facilities. Whereas they are normally powered by electricity, our compressors are powered by steam. This makes a huge difference in terms of saving energy and power because they harness energy generated by differences in steam pressure, an energy source that had previously been untapped.

Compared to our existing 75 and 55kW compressors, the new compact 37kW version that we have now developed can be installed in facilities that use far less steam.

  The main features of the SD Series are as follows.

1. Electricity is not required. (The SD Series only use around 1kW of power for the controls.)
2. The compressors are very energy efficient. Heat generated when compressing air is recovered in the form of hot water. The compressors are fitted with heat recovery units as standard equipment, which helps save on boiler fuel.
3. After being used to power the compressor, the steam can then be used in conventional industrial processes. (This eliminates power costs when excess steam is used.)

In October 2008, Kobe Steel and Nippon Steel Corporation decided to establish a joint venture to recycle steel mill dust and turn it into direct reduced iron (DRI).

We began building the steel dust recycling plant in May 2010 and commenced operations in October 2011.

Steel mill dust is a byproduct of the steelmaking process. The venture uses Kobe Steel's FASTMET® Process to make DRI from the steel dust. This enables us to produce a steady supply of iron units on a competitive basis.

With raw material prices soaring as a result of growing demand for iron and steel, especially in emerging countries, recycling projects such as this are becoming an important means of resolving worldwide resource shortages.

Shinko Kenzai's Ecokyuon aluminum foil sound-absorbing panels have been used along the Okazaki section of the Tomei Expressway (Okazaki, Aichi prefecture), covering an area of approximately 1,900m². This is the first time that this product has been used on the Tomei Expressway in the Tokai area.

We have also finished developing Ecokyuon Clear sound-absorbing panels, which are now on sale. Made from polycarbonate, these new panels combine sound-absorbing properties with transparency, and are expected to be used for purposes such as roads, railways and industrial facilities.

Kobelco Eco-Solutions has commenced trial operation of a water electrolysis high-purity hydrogen and oxygen generation (HHOG) system powered by solar energy and other renewable sources at Yume Solar-Kan Yamanashi, a promotional facility located at Komekurayama Solar Power Plant in Yamanashi prefecture.

The HHOG system generates hydrogen via the process of electrolysis. Once generated, hydrogen is stored and then supplied to pure hydrogen fuel cells for trial purposes when necessary. The system is expected to generate enough electricity to power certain parts of the facility.

We have already supplied over 100 HHOG systems to a range of industries requiring onsite hydrogen generation systems, including semiconductor manufacturers, metal heat treatment facilities and thermal power stations. We are working on hydrogen stations for fuel cell vehicles and intend to focus even more on developing renewable energy-powered hydrogen manufacturing and storage technology in the future.