Nichiyu president Toshihiko Uratsuji

Japanese electric forklift giant Nichiyu has released its latest environmental report which boasts a number of environmental successes.

Unveiling the report, Nichiyu president Toshihiko Uratsuji notes the attainment of ISO 14001 as one of the achievements.

"Building on our dedication to a healthy environment, we have taken additional steps to reduce our environmental impact by acquiring certification of registration with ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management systems," he says. "As part of this effort, we have formulated and implemented an environmental improvement plan whose progress we continue to monitor."

The latest environmental report summarises the company's environmental initiatives for fiscal 2007 with an emphasis on the details of these initiatives.

"The report also highlights our success in implementing the three-year plan we initiated in fiscal 2005 and the environmental mitigation measures we adopted for the new plant facility we have constructed on the site of our existing Shiga Plant," says Uratsuji.

The report cites the completion of the Shiga plant as a highlight. "At the planning stage, we considered the diverse needs of the plant employees, local residents, and the global environment.

"We introduced a highly efficient and eco-friendly turbo refrigeration unit to provide spot airconditioning across the 10,000 square meters of our vast operations area in our new plant in
Shiga," he says, adding that the adoption of this innovative unit is expected to reduce annual CO2 emissions by one third compared to a conventional gas-absorption refrigeration unit.

The plant, which adjoins a residential district, is also designed with noise pollution in mind. To limit noise, the plant's outer wall is clad in a highly effective soundproofing material. "The plant was designed with consideration for the residential environment by locating the intake fans on the residential side and the exhaust fans on the plant side," according to the report.

The company's environmental commitment is also manifest in its product offerings. "Demand for electric forklifts in the domestic market has been growing rapidly in recent years, particularly in light of the increasing public awareness of environmental issues," says Uratsuji. "As a pioneer in the development of electric forklifts, Nichiyu remains committed to developing a broad array of innovative products offering a combination of high performance, energy efficiency, and low environmental impact."