BASF Japan's Rokuromi Site Wins the 2023 Energy Conservation Grand Prize Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry's Award

BASF Japan’s Rokuromi Site in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, which serves as the company’s manufacturing, R&D, and sales hub for dispersions and resins, has been honored with the prestigious "2023 Energy Conservation Grand Prize Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry's Award."

 

In 2019, the Rokuromi Site launched the "Rokuromi Improvement Project" with a strong focus on energy conservation. Over the years, the site has made significant strides in this area, resulting in a remarkable reduction of steam usage by 47% and electricity usage by 6% per ton of product compared to 2019. These outstanding accomplishments have earned the site the Award. Additionally, the Rokuromi Site was also bestowed with the "Excellent Presentation Award" during the public presentation screening.

The site uses various utilities such as electricity, steam, water, nitrogen, and compressed air to manufacture products. Recognizing the environmental impact of electricity and steam, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, the site has placed a special emphasis on energy conservation efforts. Through the implementation of 11 facility engineering projects, including enhancements to temperature control in reaction vessels, installation of high-efficiency heat exchangers, and the transition to LED lighting, the site has achieved substantial energy savings.

 

Tomochika Ishiyama, Head of Dispersions and Representative of Dispersions & Resins, BASF Japan, said, "We are very honored to receive this recognition. Our team has worked tirelessly, devising numerous innovative ideas, both big and small, to achieve such significant reductions. We remain committed to implementing measures that further enhance the sustainability of our plant."

 

Shumpei Hanibuchi, the project leader, said, "We have made concerted efforts to reduce GHG emissions in order to contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. The Energy Conservation Center has acknowledged our efforts as activities that can benefit not only to the manufacturing industry but also municipalities, universities, hospitals, and businesses across various sectors that use all types of energy. This recognition motivates us to continue promoting sustainability initiatives, including energy reduction."

 

Energy savings means GHG reduction, one of the most critical sustainability priorities at BASF. The Rokuromi site has achieved a 25% reduction in GHG emissions compared to 2018.

 

At the Rokuromi site, we specialize in the manufacturing and sales of Acronal®, high-performance acrylic dispersions for architectural coatings and adhesives, as well as Joncryl®, an acrylic polymer widely used in functional coatings for printing inks and packaging. Furthermore, our Rokuromi R&D Center, situated at the same site, is dedicated to developing innovative products, with a primary focus on satisfying the needs of our valued Japanese customers.

 

Moreover, in 2023, the Rokuromi site achieved REDcert2 certification, a significant milestone for BASF. This certification enables us to meet the increasing demand for certified low CO2 variant dispersions, which exhibit identical performance to their fossil-based counterparts, through our biomass balance (BMB) approach. Notably, this certification aligns with the growing preference among environmentally conscious Japanese consumers for biomass-balanced low-carbon acrylic dispersions. We are proud to announce that Rokuromi is the first BASF site in Japan capable of producing these biomass-balanced products, contributing to the realization of a low-carbon society.