Recognition from Outside Organizations

The Kobe Steel Group's environmentally friendly technologies, products, services and other contributions have received high praise from outside organizations.

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Urban Biogas System Wins 14th Environmental and Equipment Design Award

Urban Biogas System Receives 14th Environmental and Equipment Design Award

The three companies of Kobe Eco-Solutions Co., Ltd., Takenaka Corporation and Sanki Engineering Co., Ltd. were awarded the Association of Building Engineering and Equipment's 14th Environmental and Equipment Design Award in the category of Equipment and System Design, for an Urban Biogas System* designed for Abe no Harukas. Abe no Harukas, which is Japan's tallest skyscraper, had its grand opening in spring 2014. The awards ceremony was held on May 18, 2016.

The Urban Biogas System is a groundbreaking development. Increased implementation of similar systems is expected in the future, as the system becomes a prolific element of urban infrastructure.

*Urban Biogas System
The Urban Biogas System recycles the organic waste (food scraps) and kitchen wastewater produced by department stores, hotels, restaurants and similar establishments found within multi-purpose commercial buildings to create biogas, which is then utilized as an energy source. The organic waste produced by various establishments within these buildings is crushed by disposers and then piped to a fermenter. The methane gas then produced through methane fermentation can be used as fuel for gas engines, boilers and other generators.

Urban Biogas System

Urban Biogas System

Awarded MEXT's Commendation for Science and Technology for World's Most Powerful NMR Device (1020 MHz)

Awarded MEXT's Commendation for Science and Technology for World's Most Powerful NMR Device (1020 MHz)

The four companies of Kobe Steel, the National Institute for Material Sciences (NIMS), Riken and JEOL Resonance Inc. (a subsidiary of JEOL Ltd.) were recognized in the 2016 Commendation for Science and Technology by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The four companies received MEXT's Prize for Science and Technology for the world's most powerful NMR device* (1020 MHz), development of which was completed in July 2015.

In order to produce powerful electromagnetic fields the device utilizes superconducting wires and magnets, which were produced by Kobe Steel Group company Japan Superconductor Technology, Inc. Superconducting wires and magnets contribute to energy efficiency by allowing transmission of electrical current with zero resistance, and are also utilized in the development of energy-saving power transmitters, generators, nuclear reactors and other such devices.

*NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Device
NMR devices are used to investigate a substance's molecular structure by bombarding it with magnetic fields and precisely measuring the resultant electromagnetic energy of nuclei in the field. As more powerful magnetic fields produce more sensitive results, this new device allows for previously difficult analysis of more complex structures. NMR devices are utilized in applications such as MRIs for analyzing Internal diseases and structures in the human body and, as they can be used to analyze differences in hydrogen ratios, food certification and identification and analysis of pharmaceutical products.

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