News from nikkei.com 20220127 (Google translate from Japan)
Optimal solution with boiler Supports next-generation energy
Daisuke Miyauchi President, CEO of Miura Co., Ltd.
Creating a decarbonized society
Miura Co. , Ltd., a major boiler company, is accelerating the movement toward a carbon-free society in 2050. Boilers are widely used from factories to shops and are indispensable to all industries. We aim to supply the best and cleanest heat energy by ICT (Information and Communication Technology) and skilled maintenance personnel. Daisuke Miyauchi, President and CEO, emphasized that "our purpose is to supply clean heat as a'heat sommelier'." Looking ahead to a hydrogen-based society, we are steadily collaborating.
Miyauchi Daisuke Graduated from Kyoto University in 1986. Joined Miura Co., Ltd. in 1997. After working as a director, executive officer, and general manager of the Americas Business Headquarters, he has been in his current position since 2016. Born in Ehime prefecture. 59 years old
"Heat sommelier" Domestic share nearly 60%
There is an urgent need to realize a carbon-free society in order to keep the world's average temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to before the Industrial Revolution. We are rushing to formulate a goal to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for 30 years in the entire supply chain including Scope 3 by the end of March 2010 toward carbon neutrality for 50 years.
"Decarbonization" and "carbon neutral" are set as one of the final goals, but they are not as easy as the discussion of 100 or 0 (zero). Is it possible to draw a step toward decarbonization through the realization of low carbon by starting to reduce carbon from now on? I am convinced that this is the real point towards decarbonization.
We have the top domestic market share of 58.6% for "small once-through boilers". A small once-through boiler heats water while passing it through a metal tube (can body), and releases steam to the outside in a one-way manner. It is widely used from cleaning shops and shops in the town to heat sources for large factories and air conditioning.
First of all, save energy to low carbon
Boilers required the engagement of boiler engineers, but in 1959 small once-through boilers became available without a license. The founder, Tamotsu Miura, did not miss this opportunity and began researching a small boiler that automates water supply and combustion, and developed the "small once-through boiler ZP type" in the same year. In 2015, it was certified as a mechanical engineering heritage of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. Due to the energy-saving boom caused by the oil crisis, we continued to develop high-efficiency boilers one after another and established our current position.
Looking at Japan's CO2 emissions by sector in FY2007, the industrial sector accounts for 25.2% of the total. The ratio of heat utilization in the industrial sector is as large as about 60%. When it comes to carbon neutrality, from the perspective of energy sources, there are discussions such as "I'm using this much electricity," "I'm using coal," and "So let's reduce it." However, it is necessary to use it, so first of all, I would like to encourage client companies to save energy toward low carbon.
We will continue to provide consulting services such as "This heat supply method is the best at your factory." For example, suppose a food factory uses hot water at 80 degrees Celsius to clean a manufacturing machine and it drops to 60 degrees Celsius. The temperature is too high as it is, so it is cooled and drained, but it can be used again if you look for other uses for hot water of 60 degrees or raise it to 80 degrees with a heat pump. It is an effective use of the heat that was wasted.
Started online maintenance service in 1989. More than 60,000 boilers are remotely monitored from the head office in Matsuyama City, and operation data is acquired 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When an abnormally high temperature or a drop in water pressure is detected, an alarm is automatically issued from the boiler, and if necessary, a total of more than 1,200 maintenance personnel "field engineers" at approximately 100 sales offices nationwide will be on site. It is a mechanism to rush.
Increase choices and absorb costs
Heavy oil is used as the fuel for our boilers next to gas. In the future, there may be carbon-neutral gas, and ammonia and hydrogen may become widespread as next-generation fuels. There may be a realistic "methanation" that synthesizes methane by reacting hydrogen with CO2. It will take 10 to 20 years to find out what is the best energy for the future. Even in that case, if energy saving is thoroughly implemented and the amount of energy required is reduced, the options will increase even if the cost of next-generation energy is a little high.
Online maintenance and field engineers are our strengths in providing stable heat to our customers. Looking ahead to carbon neutrality in 2050, various energy sources including hydrogen will come out, but we will respond to any energy source. As a "heat sommelier," we believe that it is our purpose to supply clean heat.
Miura Co., Ltd.'s strength is the field engineer who maintains the boiler.
Successive collaborations and establishment of new technologies in view of hydrogen society
"We are heat professionals and heat sommeliers. We want to develop the ability to handle a wide range of energy sources for combustion, and we are still trying." Daisuke Miyauchi, President and CEO, emphasizes. A hydrogen-fueled boiler has already been developed, and we are taking steps with a view to the future hydrogen society in collaboration with various companies.
In September 2021, we participated in a project by Yamanashi Prefecture with TEPCO Holdings , Toray , Hitachi Zosen , Siemens Energy (Shinagawa, Tokyo) and others. It is a business that produces hydrogen from electricity generated by renewable energy. The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has adopted it as a subsidized project.
The project period is 5 years until FY2013. Electric power derived from renewable energy is carried by transmission lines to operate water electrolyzers. The generated hydrogen is used as fuel for the boiler in the factory and used as heat in the factory. Miura Co., Ltd. will develop a highly efficient steam boiler that utilizes green hydrogen fuel derived from renewable energy in this demonstration experiment.
In 2017, Miura Co., Ltd. released a hydrogen-fueled once-through steam boiler that eliminates CO2 emissions during operation. In May 2009, a hydrogen-fueled once-through boiler equipped with a low NOX (nitrogen oxide) burner was certified by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. This was the first case in a municipality nationwide.
At present, the mainstream fuel for such boilers is by-product hydrogen from factories, but in the future, demand is expected for hydrogen produced by water electrolysis and hydrogen produced from brown coal using CCS (recovery and storage of carbon dioxide). However, hydrogen has a problem that the temperature at the time of combustion is higher and the amount of NOX generated is larger than that of natural gas and heavy fuel oil A. Therefore, we have developed a low NOX burner that can be used even in urban areas where environmental regulations are strict.
In addition, we are co-developing an industrial boiler that uses quantum hydrogen energy with Clean Planet (Chiyoda, Tokyo), a startup company that invested in 2019. Quantum hydrogen energy is a new technology that produces more energy than ordinary hydrogen. It is expected that the technology will be established for practical use.
In Asia and the Americas, where boilers are sold, the idea of "pre-maintenance" similar to that in Japan is spreading. "We are close to our customers. We can contribute to carbon neutrality overseas because we know our customers." President Miyauchi puts all his energy into it. He knows the needs of energy-using companies and proactively provides products. He continues to take on such challenges.
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