Nippon Steel Group Makes Another Step for Low CO2 Emission

Nippon Steel group’s carbon dioxide emission was around 1.82 tonnes per a tonne of crude steel output including Nippon Steel, Osaka Steel, Godo Steel, Nippon Steel & Sumikin Stainless Steel, Nakayama Steel Works and Mitsui Mining in fiscal 2007 ending March 2008, which was 13.7% lower than fiscal 1990. However, the total emission decreased only by 7.1% to 69.5 million tonnes in fiscal 2007 from fiscal 1990 when the output increased by 7.6% to 38.17 million tonnes during the period along with higher output for energy intensive high grade steel. The CO2 emission per tonne decreased by 12.7% in fiscal 2006 from fiscal 1990 and the emission in fiscal 2007 improved by 1.0 point from fiscal 2006. However, the total emission increased by 3.3% in fiscal 2007 from fiscal 2006 due to 4.2% higher raw steel output. The energy consumption was 818 peta joules in fiscal 2007, which was 6.3% lower than fiscal 1990 while the consumption was 792 peta joules, which was 9.3% lower than fiscal 1990. The firm tries to reduce the consumption by 10% in fiscal 2010 compared with fiscal 1990 level under the voluntary target shared by Japan Iron and Steel Federation. As a part of the effort, the firm increased the capital expenditure for environmental action to 33.8 billion yen in fiscal 2007, which was 1.9 times of fiscal 2006.