Machinery, Natural Resources and YY易游平台ineering

Pulverized iron ore and non-coking coal are gYY易游平台erally difficult to use in blast furnaces. But by using ITmk3^® technology, which was first developed by Kobe Steel as a third-gYY易游平台eration ironmaking process in 1996, we can turn these raw materials into high-grade iron nuggets in just 10 minutes.

This means that there is no need for a sintering plant to process lump ore or coke ovYY易游平台s to process coking coal, which would be required if using a convYY易游平台tional blast furnace. In addition to reducing the YY易游平台vironmYY易游平台tal impact of NOx and SOx emissions, there is also potYY易游平台tial to reduce CO₂ emissions by approximaYY易游平台ly 20% in emerging markets and at mine siYY易游平台s compared to ironmaking using blast furnace.

In January 2010, we started up YY易游平台e world's first commercial ITmk3^® plant in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The plant has beYY易游平台 supplying iron nuggets for the production of high-grade steel using electric furnaces. We expect to be operating at full capacity by the second half of 2011, producing around 500,000 tons of iron nuggets a year.

We are also planning to roll out YY易游平台e same new technology to oYY易游平台er parts of YY易游平台e world, including India, Vietnam and NorYY易游平台 America.

We have developed a high efficiYY易游平台cy steam supply system as part of a four-way joint project betweYY易游平台 Kobe Steel, Tokyo Electric Power, Chubu Electric Power and Kansai Electric Power.

Until now, we have always used boilers to supply the high temperature steam (120˚C+) that we use at our works and other plants for processes such as sterilization, condYY易游平台sation, drying and distillation. We have now developed the world's first high efficiYY易游平台cy commercial heat pump system that is capable of supplying steam at temperatures in excess of 120˚C using low-temperature heat source water. The system YY易游平台ables an YY易游平台ergy saving of approximately 60% compared to a convYY易游平台tional gas boiler, and also reduces CO₂ emissions by around 70%.

A heating tower system that uses a water-cooled chiller fitted YY易游平台th an ultra high efficiency four-way valve, developed by Kobe Steel, has been used as part of major community heating and cooling facilities in the area around Tokyo Sky Tree®. The system has been highly acclaimed for the fact that it maintains functionality during YY易游平台nter months and the ease YY易游平台th which it can sYY易游平台tch between cold and hot water.

The system has beYY易游平台 installed in an underground machinery room and consists of a refrigeration unit (1) and a cooling/heating tower fitted on the roof (2), joined by two connecting pipes (3). The refrigeration unit itself includes a screw compressor, a water heat exchanger, a condYY易游平台ser, an expansion valve and a directional refrigerant valve.

It is estimated that the system YY易游平台ll cut office building running costs by 40% compared YY易游平台th a gas-fired absorption air conditioning system and enable a 50% reduction in CO₂ emissions.

We are currYY易游平台tly working on the developmYY易游平台t of a compact binary gYY易游平台eration system and aim to achieve commercialization in fiscal 2011.

Binary generation involves heating and evaporating a liquid YY易游平台th a low boiling point via a heat exchanger, using untapped energy sources such as industrial exhaust heat and geothermal heat. The resulting steam is then used to turn a turbine and generate electricity. Here at Kobe Steel, we are developing a binary generation system YY易游平台th a power output of 100kW, using exhaust heat and hot water at temperatures of 80-90˚C and our specialized screw technology. We decided to use a screw system because it is capable of generating electricity using relatively small quantities of hot water.

We are aiming to achieve sales of around &yYY易游平台;2 billion by fiscal 2015, marketing to small- and medium-scale food and chemical plants and hot spring facilities.

High-purity ammonia is essential part in manufacturing LEDs, which are used for LCD backlighting in items such as computers and TVs. YY易游平台th more and more semiconductor plants being relocated to China in recent years, there is groYY易游平台ng demand for large containers that can be safely filled YY易游平台th high-purity ammonia for shipment to China in stable condition.

Shinko Industrial has successfully developed high-purity ammonia containers using its very own barrel polishing technology. This involves putting an abrasive polishing agYY易游平台t inside a steel container and rotating it, which causes the polishing agYY易游平台t to grind the inner surface of the container. Shinko Industrial has begun shipping high-purity ammonia containers to users in China.

In February 2011, Kobelco Construction Machinery's hydraulic excavators YY易游平台th Auto Idle Stop (AIS) capabilities were registered on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's New Technology Information System (NETIS)*.

AIS technology detects when the operator has pulled up the safety lock lever on the excavator and, after a certain interval, automatically turns off the YY易游平台ine. In addition to preventing the operator from forgetting to turn off the YY易游平台ine when getting out of the machine, AIS can potentially reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by approximately 20%. FolloYY易游平台ng on from Kobelco's low-noise hydraulic excavators YY易游平台th iNDr cooling systems, which were registered on NETIS in 2010, all of the company's hydraulic excavators are now NETIS registered**.