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Around the world, scientists and researchers of a wide range of disciplines are seeing evidence of rising average air and sea temperatures, and that these changes are caused by greenhouse gases released by human activities.
Tackling this challenge is essential. Not only is global warming likely to have severe environmental consequences worldwide, there is also rising concern that extreme weather phenomena, such as
droughts, heat waves and floods, could increase in both number and intensity.
To make countermeasures truly effective, it is necessary to precisely measure the concentrations of greenhouse gases at various locations around the world, and pinpoint where they are rising or falling. Until now, such measurements have been made from aircrafts or at specific observation points. However, as the number of observation points is very |
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limited (282 as of October 2008) and there is a strong geographical bias in their distribution, accurate measurements have been difficult to make.
Cue IBUKI, a new satellite built by Mitsubishi Electric on order from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) specifically for the task of measuring greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The satellite was launched by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and JAXA onboard a H-IIA rocket, taking to the skies on Friday, January 23 from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwest Japan at 12:54 p.m. local time. IBUKI will during its five-year mission map the density of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CO4) and other gases at no less than 56,000 points around the globe.
IBUKI is equipped with leading-edge sensor technology. JAXA furnished the satellite with a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) and a Cloud and Aerosol Imager (CAI). The FTS observes the ground and atmospheric reflections of a wide range of wavelengths (from the near-infrared region to the thermal infrared |
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region) within the infrared band of the sunlight hitting the earth. As these rays pass through an atmospheric gas, some wavelengths are absorbed while others are let through, enabling accurate calculation of greenhouse gas concentrations. The CAI enables the satellite to compensate for measurement errors caused by clouds and aerosols.
The satellite, formally named GOSAT (Greenhouse Gases Observing SATellite), is a joint project involving JAXA, the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE). While JAXA was responsible for the satellite’s development and launch and is now conducting daily operation, MOE and NIES process and utilize the data.
By providing new data to governmental institutions and scientists worldwide, IBUKI will make an important contribution toward a more effective global response to global warming. |
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The municipal government of Shanghai, China is actively working to attract foreign capital. Through a special act, created in 2002 and called the Provisions on Encouraging the Establishment of Regional Headquarters by Multinational Corporations, the city has outlined a set of favorable business incentives that apply especially to foreign companies.
In July 2008, an extra set of incentives, including rent subsidies for companies that achieve sales above a specific level, took effect?½\signaling the right moment for Mitsubishi Rayon to strengthen its presence in Shanghai.
The Mitsubishi Rayon subsidiary MRC Shanghai Business Consulting Co., Ltd. had been providing business support services to the parent company since 2004. However, being a consulting firm, the scope of its activities was limited. Mitsubishi Rayon considered establishing separate companies with management and trading functions, but with the new provisions, it became possible to combine both functions under a single company.
In November 2008, Mitsubishi Rayon liquidated |
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| MRC Shanghai Business Consulting Co., Ltd. and instead established Mitsubishi Rayon (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Business operations commenced in March 2009. With a staff of 40, including 15 Japanese, the new company provides management and coordination in areas including financial investment and management, labor administration and legal affairs. The company also handles import, domestic sales and export of the Group’s products, and conducts limited R&D. First-year sales are estimated at around ¥15 billion. |
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The 2nd World Future Energy Summit was held in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates between January 19 and 21, 2009. Hosted by the Masdar Initiative, a government project to promote renewable energy, the event featured exhibits by 359 companies and organizations from 79 countries and electrified over 16,000 visitors.
For the first time, the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC) Group took part. The booth explained the technologies used in organic solar cells, white LEDs, Alpolic® aluminum panels, DIALEAD® carbon fiber and the highly efficient AQSOA moisture absorbent. Moreover, a plant factory and a wall-to-wall graphic display showing the Group’s business activities drew great interest among visitors. Staff welcomed many VIPs, including His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Mr. Takamori Yoshikawa, Japan’s Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry. |
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Mitsubishi Corporation’s exhibit showed how the company is helping to solve global environmental problems through its business activities, focusing in particular on the new energy business, the emissions reduction business, water-related activities and electric vehicle technology. Together with environmental technology venture Xenesys Inc., Mitsubishi Corporation also demonstrated equipment that uses thermal energy conversion to generate electricity.
Nippon Oil, working with Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., presented an exhibit featuring a home-use fuel cell system and a prototype of a thin-film photovoltaic module that the company now aims to commercialize through a new joint venture with Sanyo, SANYO ENEOS SOLAR Co., Ltd. |
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Each year Japanese media giant Nikkei Inc. presents the Nikkei Superior Products and Services Awards for Excellence. Based on criteria including technology development potential and industrial and social impact, winners are selected from a shortlist painstakingly produced from the approximately 20,000 new products and services listed in the company’s extensive databases. In 2008, 40 awards were presented—among them, two to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Nippon Oil.
MHI was awarded the Nikkei Supreme Excellence Award for the MHI-TM2000 Linear Accelerator System. This medical system can identify cancer tumors and zap them with a highly focused x-ray beam from any angle. Because the physician can control the system while observing real-time x-ray images, |
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irradiation can be carried out with greater precision, minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Thanks to the reduced size of the x-ray accelerator, the system’s donut-shaped mechanism completely surrounds the patient.
Nippon Oil won the Nikkei Excellence Award for its ENEOS VICTORY FORCE SUPER PREMIUM, High-Capacity Long-Life Battery, the best-performing car battery in Japan. Thanks to new technology enabling it to store and discharge energy more effectively and to offer better performance in high and low temperatures, it delivers a 5% improvement in capacity and starting performance over conventional batteries, a 6% longer lifespan and a 9% improvement in charging performance. The battery is guaranteed for 36 months or 100,000 km. |
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Asahi Glass Helps to Make Integrated Circuits Smaller
In an exciting breakthrough, Asahi Glass (AGC) has developed and begun manufacturing a new photosensitive dielectric material with well-balanced thermal, electrical and mechanical properties.
None of the existing photosensitive dielectric materials have satisfied all these
requirements, therefore putting a lot of restrictions on the design and further miniaturization
of integrated circuits. This new AGC-developed dielectric material makes use of one of AGC’s core technologies—fluorine chemistry—and will be extremely useful in the development and manufacture of increasingly fast, miniaturized semiconductor circuits, as it achieves well-balanced performance, including low-temperature curing (180?½|250 ?½?½C), excellent electrical properties and high reliability. |
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Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Establishes Presence in Kazakhstan
Japanese companies are increasingly active in Central Asia, due to the region’s abundance of natural resources. Kazakhstan is especially important, and various political initiatives are under way to build closer relations between Japan and this country.
To strengthen its ability to provide financial services to companies operating in the region or looking to build a presence there, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ has established a representative office in Almaty, an important economic center in Kazakhstan.
A key task of the Almaty Representative Office will be to collect political and economic information about the five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Backed by this detailed and up-to-date information, the bank will be able to provide superior service. |
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New London Office Brings Astomos Energy Closer to Key Markets
Astomos Energy has established its first overseas office, called the London Office of Astomos Energy Corporation, in London, the U.K.
The choice of London reflects the city’s status as a world center for the maritime trade in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Another factor is the anticipated growth in LPG production by Middle Eastern and African countries. Being located relatively close to these two markets, as well as the major markets of the Americas, makes London an ideal business location.
By establishing an office there, Astomos Energy aims to build closer relationships with suppliers, including gas-producing countries and oil majors, and with its European and North American customers. The new office is also expected to contribute to income growth and the development of new sales channels. |
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