Reduction of Environmental Impacts

As part of its environmental management policies, the KOBELCO Group is committed to environmentally friendly manufacturing. We pursue this commitment on a variety of fronts—including improvements to sustainable manufacturing processes, updates to equipment, introduction of efficient state-of-the-art equipment, and introduction of pollution control equipment—to reduce environmental impact from soot and other sources. We will continue to implement these initiatives.

• Environmental Management Structure

The KOBELCO Group strives to conserve water through such measures as efficient use of water in manufacturing processes and wastewater recycling.

Additionally, by purifying drainage from manufacturing processes using specialized treatment systems, we reduce levels of polluting substances in public water resources.

The KOBELCO Group has set the target in the Medium-Term Management Plan (Fiscal 2021–2023) of reducing environmental impact from air emissions, etc., through meticulous operational management and facility management.

The actual water recycling rate in fiscal 2021 was approximately 96%, exceeding our target of achieving 95% or more

We also set targets for water pollution load (COD, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus). All of the targets were achieved.

At each business location, we are recycling water to use again at the site after purifying wastewater from each production process through coagulation sedimentation, sand filtering, etc. In this way, the water recycling rate reaches approximately 96%.

Each KOBELCO Group business site remains aware of regulatory water quality requirements and evaluates their compliance with these levels. Please see below for water discharge data for each business site, including the results of water quality measurements.

• For Fiscal 2021 Data on Air and Water Discharge for each KOBELCO Group Business Site

The KOBELCO Group is working to control air pollutant emissions by introducing low-NOx combustion facilities along with enforcing appropriate management of exhaust gas treatment facilities and dust collectors.

Our Group’s goal during the Medium-Term Management Plan (Fiscal 2021-2023) is to continue meticulous operational management and facility management, and to work to reduce the environmental impacts of soot and smoke, and other emissions.

In fiscal 2021, we continued to control emissions by thoroughly managing soot and smoke. However, we exceeded our voluntary steelworks influence value targets for dustfall (measurement sites: 3.0 tons/km2/month or less at Kakogawa Shinko Building, Befu Elementary School, and Onoe Elementary School) at Kakogawa Works for three consecutive months from May to July 2021.

We have taken measures to limit sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions during manufacturing processes, such as conserving energy to reduce fuel consumption, using low-sulfur fuels, and switching to city gas, while also implementing exhaust-related measures, such as desulfurization. Likewise, to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, we have implemented low-NOx combustion technology and energy-saving measures.

At Kakogawa Works, voluntary targets for dustfall in three neighboring locations have been set at 3.0 tons/km2/ month or less. In fiscal 2021, we fell short of the voluntary targets for three months from May to July 2021. After investigating, we determined the following two causes.

In the future, we will add a dust collector for the sintering plant and mitigate blockages of the dust prevention net through regular cleaning in an effort to achieve the voluntary target consistently.

We established the KOBELCO Group Policy on Controlling Hazardous Chemical Substances to ensure the appropriate handling of chemical substances from procurement to manufacturing and quality control.

In addition to accurately assessing the use, disposal, and transfer of chemical substances covered under the PRTR Law¹ and Chemical Substance Control Law,² we engage in activities to limit the use and output of such substances.

The Group’s targets involve working on the appropriate management of chemical substances and activities to reduce or replace them. We also appropriately store and manage waste electrical machinery with PCB and equipment using fluorocarbons in accordance with the PCB Special Measures Law³ and Fluorocarbons Control Law.⁴

In fiscal 2021, we completed registration for disposal of high-concentration PCB waste (transformers, fluorescent light stabilizers, etc.) located in areas where the treatment deadline was approaching, and have outsourced the processing sequentially. Also, we expect to complete disposal at business locations in other areas by the statutory deadline. Regarding the equipment containing low-concentration PCB, we thoroughly investigated the in-use equipment and contracted the processing for some of them. In addition, through audits and other means, we verified that appropriate action is being taken under the Act on Rational Use and Appropriate Management of Fluorocarbons.