HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY

It may be renowned for its distinctive orange construction equipment, but Hitachi Construction Machinery Europe (HCME) NV is in the process of going green. An ambitious plan recently unveiled by Hitachi Ltd aims to reduce the carbon emissions of its products worldwide by 100million tonnes by 2025.

All products manufactured by the group must be qualified Eco-Products by that same year. This will involve enhancing the environmental performance of materials, parts, components, and product design, by taking advantage of technologies developed by the group.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd (HCM) is fully aware of its environmental responsibilities. Custom-built hybrid excavators are on sale in Japan, for example, and the manufacturer is already working on machines to meet European Stage IIIB guidelines on emissions in 2011, and beyond that, Stage IV, in 2014.

By 2015, HCM aims to be carbon neutral. This will require all CO_² emitted during the production and distribution of machinery to be equal to the reduction in CO_² emissions generated during its life and disposal.

The manufacturer has introduced a Design for Environment assessment to its product development phase. The criteria for Eco-Products includes: lighter weight, longer product life, availability of recyclable resources, ease of disassembly and disposal, less fuel consumption and environmentally friendly packing materials.

Hitachi factories and offices are also involved in the environmental action plan. The company has established strict conditions for new and existing buildings, based on efficient energy use, waste disposal, emissions, water circulation and use of renewable energy.

At the HCME factory in Amsterdam, for example, it is estimated that the number of lights can be reduced by 30 per cent. This energy-saving measure is equivalent to the amount of energy used by 150 Dutch families per year*.

HCME already separates waste into wood, plastic, paper, metal and chemical refuse. In 2007, it recycled 72 tonnes of paper and 217 tonnes of wood, and 55 tonnes of packaging, such as pallets and beams, was reused at the Amsterdam factory.

In its offices, HCME has successfully cut carbon emissions by reducing gas central heating (equivalent to the energy used by five Dutch families a year*), electricity (equivalent to the energy use of 26 Dutch families a year*), and increasing the amount of fresh air circulating in the office, which lessened the need for air conditioning.

“Hitachi regards itself as a global citizen and is committed to its environmental responsibilities,” says HCME Environmental Regulation Compliance Officer Robin Huijsman. “The overall aim is to promote our endeavours for innovation, while increasing the potential of future generations to create industry-leading, environmentally aware products and services.”

Notes for editors

*Estimates based on the fact that the energy consumption of an average Dutch family is 3,500kWh/year of electricity and 1,360m³/year of natural gas.