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China's power consumption
is soaring, and so are Mitsubishi Heavy Industries'
sales in this dynamic country.
Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries has won an order from Harbin Turbine
Co., Ltd., one of China's three largest generator
manufacturers, for major components for twelve 600,000
kW supercritical steam turbines. The order covers
the most vital components of the turbines, including
high-temperature, high-pressure turbine blades and
rotors. Harbin Turbine will manufacture other peripheral
equipment and assemble the turbines for delivery
to Chinese electric power companies.
The turbines will be used in coal-fired
supercritical power generation plants. Supercritical
generators operate at steam temperatures and pressures
far above the critical levels for steam (at approximately
250 atmospheres). This highly efficient method increases
electric power output per unit of fuel. It also
minimizes the environmental load by reducing carbon
dioxide emissions.
Rapid economic growth is increasing
the demand for electric power in China. In 2003,
power consumption increased by approximately 15%.
This trend is driving efforts to raise the efficiency
and capacity of power generation plants. In 2002,
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries collaborated with Harbin
Turbine on the construction of China's first
supercritical power plant.
Harbin Boiler Co., Ltd. has also placed
an order covering all major components for four
ultra-supercritical boilers, each having a power-generation
capacity of one million kW. This will be the first
time that ultra-supercritical boilers have been
installed in China.
After fabrication and finishing by Harbin
Boiler, the boilers will be supplied to the end
user in China, Huaneng Power International, Inc. |
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America
is in love with sports cars and light trucks—in
fact, for many years, the pick-up truck has actually
been the largest selling class of vehicle in the
U.S.—and Detroit is home to the most exciting
ideas in American automobiles. This is why Mitsubishi
Motors chose to stage the world premiere of its
Eclipse Concept-E and Sport Truck Concept vehicles
at the North American International Auto Show. Commonly
known as the Detroit Motor Show, this event was
held in Detroit over two weeks in January 2004.
The Eclipse Concept-E vehicle is a futuristic
version of the Eclipse series of compact sporty
coupe/convertible cars, which have been very popular
in the North American market. It provides a glimpse
into the future of Mitsubishi's high-performance
sports models. With the creative application of
Mitsubishi's original hybrid engine system called
E-Boost, the concept car combines the qualities
of a sports car, including acceleration performance
taken to the ultimate, with enhanced environment-friendly
qualities, such as low fuel consumption and low
emissions.
As a sporty pick-up truck designed for
an active lifestyle, the Sport Truck Concept vehicle
is the perfect match for the Mitsubishi brand. Mitsubishi
Motors plans to launch a mid-size pick-up truck
onto the North American market in 2005. The new
concept model was developed in preparation for that
plan, which resulted from the alliance with DaimlerChrysler.
This is a highly strategic segment for Mitsubishi
Motors, and the introduction of the new products
will further strengthen Mitsubishi's line-up
in the North American market.
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Vivid
color, delicate tones, great contrast
and sharp detail preserve irreplaceable
moments. |
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In
March 2004, the dreams of amateur digital photographers
came true. Its name is D70, an interchangeable-lens
digital SLR camera that delivers Nikon's patented
digital and photographic performance in a package
that anyone can enjoy—high resolution, sharp
detail and accurate vivid colors combined with a new
level of advanced functions and automated operation.
Besides high-level performance and pro-level
flexibility, the D70 possesses intuitive controls
and menus that simplify its use by everyone from novices
to experienced photographers. The many features and
innovations actually combine to make photography with
the D70 faster, easier and more satisfying.
A 6.1 effective megapixel Nikon DX format
CCD renders extremely large prints or high-detail
image cropping. The user interface is equally advanced,
with virtually no shutter time lag and ultra-fast
power-up—so fast it is ready to shoot as soon
as you turn it on, so the D70 will never miss a shot
due to processing delay.
The camera's advanced digital processing
algorithms are also extremely competent at capturing
the incoming image for exciting, sharply focused,
natural-looking photos in conditions that would stymie
a less-talented camera. And, for shooting flexibility,
there is an exceptionally wide range of shutter speeds,
from 30 to 1/8000 second. After the shot, the camera?s
LCD monitor displays an instant review of the image.
And so on for three more A4 pages of specifications.
All of this goes to show that in the realm of digital
SLR photography, the D70 is no lightweight—except
for its weight, which is a feather-light 595 grams
(21 ounces). |
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The
pharmaceutical business is a major anchor in Kirin
Brewery's drive to diversify its activities and
support stable long-term growth. Kirin is leveraging
its domestic sales capabilities and enlarging its
product pipeline by forming alliances with leading
international biopharmaceutical companies and researchers.
In December 2003, the company signed an agreement
with Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc giving Kirin
exclusive rights to develop and market anagrelide
hydrochloride in Japan. Shire Pharmaceuticals is a
globally active manufacturer based in the United Kingdom.
It markets anagrelide hydrochloride in the United
States and elsewhere for use in treatment of thrombocytosis,
a chronic bone marrow disorder that causes excessive
production of platelets in the blood. Long-term consequences
include a tendency toward blood clots and excessive
bleeding.
Shire completed Phase I development in
Japan for anagrelide hydrochloride, which was designated
by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare as a
product that is highly essential for the medical treatment
of a condition that affects less than 50,000 patients.
Kirin will develop the product in Japan using data
provided by Shire. The product is already sold in
overseas countries, including the United States, Canada,
Australia and South Korea, and approval is pending
in Europe.
Kirin's pharmaceutical business focuses
primarily on the fields of kidney disease, cancer
(including blood-related diseases), and immunological
disorders. By in-licensing this hematological drug,
Kirin aims to expand its development pipeline and
contribute to the advancement of medicine in this
field. |
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In
the field of large outdoor electronic displays,
Mitsubishi Electric is now not only the world's
largest supplier, but also the supplier of the world's
largest (based on length). According to the Guinness
Book of World Records, a massive Diamond Vision
LED display, measuring eight meters (26 feet) high
and 70.4 meters (231 feet) long, is officially the
world's longest TV screen. It was installed
in August 2003 at the Hong Kong Jockey Club's
Sha Tin racecourse.
Visitors to the course now enjoy bright,
crystal clear images of odds, race results and multi-angle
racing action not directly visible from the grandstands—using
up to 40 individual images on a screen that is the
same length as a 747 jet.
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Ahigh-tech
building material developed by Asahi Glass is changing
the shape of soccer—or at least the stadiums
in which it is played. German soccer stadium Allianz-Arena
in Munich is to host the opening game of the 2006
World Cup football tournament, and officials wanted
a truly outstanding venue to host the occasion.
To meet the aims of the design required overcoming
some technically difficult hurdles, but Asahi Glass
met them all with its high-performance fluororesin
Fluon® ETFE foil products.
The design calls for dramatically curved
side walls and roof that are also transparent or
translucent to allow through the ultraviolet rays
needed to grow the natural turf. The smooth and
curved shape means that virtually the entire above-ground
structure can be used as a screen for colorful and
lively video projections. For long life, it must
also be heat, chemical and weather resistant and
maintain its beauty indefinitely. To realize these
tough and contradictory specifications, sheets of
double-layered ETFE foil, or cushions, are fit in
the cells of the side wall and roof, and then inflated
by compressed air. Asahi Glass has secured the order
for all the foils used in the stadium, which, when
completed, will be the world's largest structure
made of fluororesin ETFE foils.
Fluon® ETFE foil has been used since
its launch in 1975 in a wide range of fields, including
electronics, aviation/space, photovoltaic cells,
sound insulation bags and greenhouses. In recent
years, it has been increasingly used in Europe as
a building material, since it is highly regarded
for its transparency, light weight, ability to assume
curved forms and stain resistance/easy maintenance,
as well as for its durability and long life.
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The
second-place Mitsubishi, driven by Hiroshi Masuoka
and co-driven by Gilles Picard was not without drama
of its own. Masuoka was trying for his third consecutive
win, and was leading at the start of the seventh stage,
but fell an hour behind Peterhansel on the following
day when he made a shift error, a fate that can befall
even the best-prepared team in this all-out endurance
contest.
Overnight, Masuoka found himself in third
place and virtually shut out of a win. Masuoka, who
passed Peterhansel in the last stage in 2003 for the
title, fought back to second place but could climb
no higher. “Hiroshi drove a perfect race as
well, but it was my turn this time!” said Peterhansel
after the race.
Mitsubishi is such a formidable team that
even their support car, stuffed with spare parts to
assist the front runners during each stage, finished
a remarkable fifth overall, driven by Andrea Mayer
and co-driven by Andreas Schultz. Mayer, another former
motorcyclist, was the first woman to finish this race.
“On a bike you are alone,” said Mayer.
“When I crossed the finish line today, I knew
it had been a great team effort. Andreas has been
fantastic.”
In 2005, Masuoka vows to try again for
his third win, as Mitsubishi goes for ten. |
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