Receiving the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Director-General's Award in the FY2015 Energy Conservation Grand Prize

Chubu Electric Power received the ANRE (Agency for Natural Resources and Energy) Director-General's Award for the FY2015 Energy Conservation Grand Prize's (organized by the Energy Conservation Center, Japan) Energy Conservation Case Example Category.

The award was granted for the "Energy and Labor Conservation through Introduction of Infra-Red Die Heater at the Foundry," an undertaking that Chubu Electric Power conducted jointly with Suzuki Motor Corporation (Representative Director and Chairman: Osamu Suzuki; Headquarters: Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture) and Metro Denki Kogyo Co., Ltd. (President: Seiji Kawai; Headquarters: Anjo City, Aichi Prefecture).

Since FY1990, the Energy Conservation Grand Prize has commended operators that developed business models with significant energy saving-related ramifications or products that excel in energy or electricity conservation.

The Energy Conservation Case Example Category was introduced from FY2011, and has been awarding operators who delivered good results through prominent energy-saving activities or electricity conservations for companies, plants, and offices.

The introduction of the co-developed infra-red die heater to Suzuki's Sagara Plant led to winning the award.

This was a result of earning high acclaims for efforts that saved labor and scaled up the safety and productivity of field work, as well as significantly reducing both heating time and energy consumption quantities.

The issues experienced by customers are diversifying as manufacturing advances.

In a drive to resolve this matter, Chubu Electric Power is rolling out integrated development solutions to enhance productivity and save energy by stepping deeply into customers' production processes, and the joint effort was part of this solution.

Chubu Electric Power will continue to carry out integrated development solutions and other services, and work to serve as a top-choice utility for customers.

[Overview of the ANRE Director-General's Award]

• Award theme
  Energy and Labor Conservation through Introduction of Infra-Red Die Heater at the Foundry

• Operators
  Suzuki Motor Corporation、Chubu Electric Power Co.,Inc., Metro Denki Kogyo Co., Ltd.

• Subject establishment
  Sagara Plant, Suzuki Motor Corporation

• Overview of case example　
  • Regarding the die heating process for the engine part-producing foundry machine at Suzuki's Sagara Plant, changes have been made from conventional gas burners to high output infra-red die heaters.
  • Chubu Electric Power, Suzuki, and Metro Denki Kogyo jointly devised, developed, tested, and improved the die heater. The introduction of the heater boosted up energy conservation, while also saving labor and enhancing the safety and productivity of field work. Examples include a 32% reduction in the total hours needed for die heating, as well as a 58% cut in energy consumption quantities (a 20.8kl/month cutback on a crude oil basis) compared to conventional gas burners.