International. Panasonic Corporation revealed that it turned two of its factories into the first with Zero CO2 emissions category of the Japanese company. Since January 2019, the facilities of the Panasonic Eco Technology Center (PETEC) in Hyogo, Japan and the Panasonic Energy Belgium NV (PECBE) in Tessebdeerlo, Belgium, have been transformed to virtually emit no more CO2 during their operations.
The conversion of these two factories is part of the Panasonic Environmental Vision 2050, a long-term environmental management plan, presented in June 2017, which promotes concrete actions to develop businesses that favor a sustainable society by 2050.
Both PETEC, a company dedicated to the recycling process of household appliances, and PECBE, which produces dry batteries, have become Panasonic's first Zero CO2 Emissions factories by installing renewable energy generation systems, acquiring electricity produced exclusively by renewable methods and using carbon credits to offset the CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.
With the goal of reducing CO2 emissions, by a combined total of 5,000 tons per year, the factories have implemented the following activities:
PETEC
- Installation of a photovoltaic power generation system with Panasonic HIT solar panels (installed in 2009, with a generation capacity of 50 kW, to be expanded to 624 kW in 2019.)
- Exchange of all electricity purchased, for one created from 100% renewable energy sources (using the "Hydraulic Ecological Plan" of Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. and non-fossil certificates)
- Use of a "J" bond to offset CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.
- In the future, PETEC will promote measures using in-house developed technologies, including strengthening energy conservation activities, further use of renewable energies such as geothermal heat, and introducing technology to absorb, separate and use CO2 emitted by fossil fuels.
PECBE
- Installation of a 100-meter-high wind power generation system at the factory facilities (installed in 2016, with a power generation capacity of 2 MW)
- It changed all the electricity acquired for one created from 100% renewable energy sources.
- Switching from boilers that used fossil fuels to energy-saving boilers and the use of carbon credits to offset CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.
- In addition, with the aim of making the factory greener, PECBE promotes a series of measures, including the use of LED lighting, the adoption of electric cars as company vehicles and the use of wood waste for installation on the walls of the dining room and cafeteria. a of the factory.
