Environment

Product and Service Initiatives (Expand businesses that contribute to the environment)

Sustainability - Expand businesses that contribute to the environment

Product Initiatives (Expand businesses that contribute to the environment)

Product and Service Initiatives (Expand businesses that contribute to the environment)

Policy

We are actively promoting initiatives that contribute to the environment in order to “realize a more affluent future” by leveraging our technology and experience honed over many years.

Public Relations Section

Contributions to the Mitigation of Climate Change by Reducing Product CO2 Emissions

Performance Data

Contributions to Reducing Product and Service GHG Emissions

The Meiden Group aims to contribute the environment by utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power and by improving the efficiency of its products to reduce energy consumption.

Our FY2024 contribution to reduced GHG emissions was 4.414 million tons per year.

GHG Reduction Contribution Volume (Former Environmental Contribution Volume)

Subject products / businesses GHG reduction contribution in FY2024 (10,000 t-CO2) Approach to calculating GHG reduction contribution
Wind power sales business*1 2.8 Emissions curbed if grid power replaced by renewable energy generation
Photovoltaic generation systems 6.4
Hydro turbine generators (Meidensha) 103.1
Hydro turbine generators (EAML Engineering) 2.8
Electric railway regenerative inverters 2.3 Energy reductions from regenerative current
Electric vehicle drive unit 140.0 Emissions curbed if replacing gasoline vehicle of same grade
Control equipment and motors for electric forklifts 170.3
Cubicle-type dry air insulated switchgear
(Eco C-GIS)
0.1 Emissions curbed by not using SF6 gas
Ecotank type vacuum circuit breakers*2 13.6
Total 441.4  
  1. *1Calculated by multiplying the difference in volume of GHG emissions at the point of use, by the expected life and annual sales volume. However, wind power generation is calculated based on annual power generation performance.
  2. *2FY2024 data includes US manufacturing.
Public Relations Section

Hydroelectric Power Generation Business

Hydroelectric Power Generation Equipment

Hydroelectric power is a form of renewable energy that enables steady generation of electricity throughout the year. Meidensha has been installing hydroelectric generators since its founding, with generators installed in over 400 hydroelectric plants around the world. In light of our extensive history with hydroelectric power, this field represents a major pillar of our sustainability business because the Meiden Group can offer complete sets of equipment (waterwheels, generators, monitoring systems equipment).

Hydroelectric power generation technology has a long history and we are devising methods to integrate new technologies while also developing technology for the future. We are working on ways to improve generation efficiency via systems that use technology to analyze waterwheel flow while also utilizing AI to optimize generators. We will improve product efficiency by advancing such new technologies.

Hydroelectric power generation is an extremely useful process to both reduce GHG emissions and create a stable energy supply. We will continue to maximize that value while accelerating initiatives toward a low-carbon society.

Hydroelectric power generation equipment
Hydroelectric power generation equipment
Public Relations Section

Motors and Inverters for Electric Vehicles

Ecotank Type Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCB)

Expanding the SF6 gas*-free switchgear business that can contribute to a decarbonized society is one climate-change related business opportunity for the Meiden Group.

In 2007, we released a 72-kV-class Ecotank type vacuum circuit breaker to markets around the globe, and in 2020 we developed a 145-kV-class model to meet high-voltage requirements. In 2020 we also founded Meiden America Switchgear, Inc., the first North American base to handle SF6 gas-free switchgear, which is doing well in the current business environment and represents one area of continued growth.

Looking toward the future, we anticipate that the introduction of the EU’s restrictions on SF6 gas in 2026 and other similar measures will vastly increase the decarbonization demands of the power industry. The Meiden Group cannot let such a wonderful opportunity pass as we grow business to become the world’s leading vacuum circuit breaker manufacturer.

  • *SF6 gas: A chemically stable, non-toxic, odorless, colorless, non-flammable gas with three times the ability to withstand voltage of air at the same pressure. However, it has 23,500times the effect on global warming of CO2 and was listed as a controlled gas in the Kyoto Protocol to prevent global warming.
Ecotank type VCB
Ecotank type VCB

Electric Vehicle Drive Unit

Meiden Group supplies motors and inverters installed in electric vehicles, which are becoming more common throughout the world. In October 2023, Meiden (Hangzhou) Drive Systems Co., Ltd.’s second production line began full-scale operations manufacturing and installing integrated motor/inverter equipment. Built with Japan and China’s best manufacturing systems, we are currently focusing on optimizing production load. We strive tirelessly to create smaller, more efficient prototypes based on the standard models and to improve QCD with better manufacturing technologies.

Integrated motor/inverter/gear drive unit
Integrated motor/inverter/gear drive unit
Public Relations Section