Toward decarbonization, diversification and efficiency Energy industry | Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Electronic version

Primary energy such as oil and coal, secondary energy such as electricity and city gas generated from that energy, and renewable energy such as solar power generation systems are indispensable for social and economic activities and daily life. do not have. In October 2020, Japan declared that it would aim to become carbon neutral (substantially zero greenhouse gas emissions) by 2050, and companies and the energy market are beginning to move toward decarbonization.

Carbon Neutral

Companies Accelerating Efforts New Technologies and Power Switching

Carbon Neutral is a state in which carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and absorption, which are thought to be the cause of global warming, are zero. The concept is that the amount of CO2 emitted by humans through the burning of fossil fuels is the same as the amount of CO2 absorbed by tree planting, etc., and the total amount of carbon in the natural world should not be changed.

In this context, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced the 2021 Annual Report on Energy (Energy White Paper) on June 4th. The white paper consists of three parts: (1) the energy situation and major measures, (2) energy trends, and (3) measures taken for energy supply and demand in FY2008.

In addition to the status of measures related to energy supply and demand in the previous fiscal year, it also introduces new challenges and initiatives for realizing carbon neutrality and the transformation of energy security.

About 90% of the greenhouse gases emitted by Japan are CO2, of which 40% is emitted from the electric power sector and the remaining 60% is emitted from the non-electric power sector such as industry, transportation, and households.

In the electric power sector, the white paper states that CO2 emissions from thermal power plants account for the majority and that it is necessary to reduce this CO2 emissions in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. .

On the other hand, thermal power generation is an important energy that supports the expansion of the introduction of renewable energy with fluctuating output in systems such as solar power generation and wind power generation.

Thermal power generation is (1) stable and large supply capacity (2) power demand and the power supply that fluctuates in output from solar power generation and wind power generation systems, and can adjust the supply amount according to the demand (3) It plays an important role in preventing blackouts due to troubles that occur in the power system.

In the future, as renewable energy becomes the mainstay of decarbonized energy, it is necessary to combine technologies such as CO2-free energy such as hydrogen and ammonia, CO2 storage and utilization (CCUS), and storage batteries. .

Japanese companies are actively working on decarbonization, and Japan ranks first in the world in the number of organizations that support the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), a framework for disclosing information related to climate change. , the number of companies certified by Science Based Targets (SBT), which sets medium- to long-term goals for decarbonization, is second only to the United States (first in Asia), and the electricity required for business activities is 100% renewable energy The white paper states that China is second only to the United States (first in Asia) in the framework "RE100", which aims to cover

In addition to reducing the greenhouse gases emitted by the company and the greenhouse gases related to the energy used by the company, an increasing number of companies are trying to decarbonize the entire supply chain.

Under these circumstances, one of Fuji Oil's basic policies is to strengthen efforts toward a decarbonized society. As an initiative toward a decarbonized society, we have started joint research on bio-jet fuel.

Panasonic joined "RE100" in 2019. On May 24, it announced that it would work on "RE100 solutions" in its business activities using pure hydrogen fuel cells and solar cells.

From April 1st, HIOKI switched all of the electricity used at its headquarters factory in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture to CO2-free hydroelectric power. Electricity at the headquarters factory will be virtually 100% renewable energy, and CO2 emissions from electricity use will be zero.

98.6% of the electricity used by the company in Japan will be CO2-free electricity, and approximately 2,300 tons of CO2 will be reduced by about 5,500 MWh of electricity used at the head office factory in one year.

Primary and secondary energy

Reliance on Oil to Decrease Manufacturing Consumption Declines

In 1973, Japan relied on oil for 75.5% of its domestic primary energy supply. In order to stabilize the energy supply, Japan has reduced its dependence on oil and promoted the introduction of natural gas and other energy sources, while accelerating the development of new energy sources. In fiscal 2010, oil accounted for 40.3% of the domestic primary energy supply, and efforts were made to diversify energy sources by increasing the share of natural gas and other sources. In FY2019, it was 37.1%, falling below 40% for four consecutive years.

Demand for electricity, which is a secondary energy, is increasing, mainly for commercial and household use. The electrification rate was 12.7% in 1970, but has reached 25.8% in 2019 due to the spread of the environment using electricity.

Energy consumption in the manufacturing industry increased at an average annual rate of 11.8% from 1965 to 1973, exceeding the growth rate of real GDP (gross domestic product). Since 1973, it has been on a downward trend, and in the 10 years from 1973, energy consumption decreased by an average of 2.5% per year despite the increase in real GDP.

Since FY2008, energy consumption in the manufacturing industry has remained below the level of FY1973 due to the development of energy conservation after the Lehman Shock and the Great East Japan Earthquake. In FY2007, it decreased by -2.8% compared to the previous year.

Comparing fiscal 1973 and fiscal 2019, the scale of the economy increased 2.6 times and the production of the manufacturing industry as a whole increased 1.6 times, but the energy consumption of the manufacturing industry fell to 0.9 times. The White Paper on Energy states that behind this is progress in energy conservation (unit factor) and the shift from materials industries to processing and assembly industries (structural factor).

The manufacturing industry is highly interested in improving energy efficiency to reduce production costs. Corporate awareness of environmental protection is rising and efforts to save energy are intensifying. Energy consumption in the manufacturing industry still accounts for about 40% of the total final energy consumption, and there is a need to further improve energy efficiency.