Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced today that it has received an order for a top pressure recovery turbine (TRT) generating system with a capacity of 22,020 kW from the Brazilian steel company Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN). The system is scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2009.

The TRT generating system is driven by the exhaust gas pressure generated from the steelworks’ blast furnace and converted into electricity using a turbine. In addition to energy savings, noise is reduced when gas passes through the turbine. Because of the system’s environmentally friendly features, TRT generating systems have been adopted for all large blast furnaces in Japan.

Kawasaki’s TRT generating system is unique in that it doesn’t rely on a conventional governing valve to control the blast furnace’s top pressure, instead employing the turbine’s variable stator blades. This method does not control the gas flow rate from the blast furnace by adjusting the valves, but adopts a method that continuously adjusts the angle of the blades. This enables efficient, low-noise generation with minimal energy loss, even when the gas flow rate and pressure from the blast furnace change.

In Brazil, demand for power has recently risen considerably, leading steel plants to introduce their own power sources for electricity supplies. The order for a TRT generating system from CSN reflects this shift in Brazil’s socioeconomic status.

Kawasaki has already sold 41 TRT generating systems around the world, demonstrating their high reputation. In Brazil, the systems have been delivered to CST (capacity: 20,000 kW), Gerdau Açominas (11,340 kW) and Usiminas (18,800 kW).

Source: Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.

HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation has announced that domestic production in Japan during fiscal year 2007 has exceeded one million units. This marks Mazda’s highest domestic production volume in 15 years since 1992.

Masaharu Yamaki, senior managing executive officer in charge of production and business logistics, said, “We want to thank all of our valued customers across the globe who have supported Mazda and helped us break the previous 15 year-old production record. Producing over one million vehicles in Japan during the first year of our new mid-term plan, the Mazda Advancement Plan, is extremely significant. This achievement shows we are on track to reach the targets set out in the plan. We will strive to maintain this momentum and drive Mazda’s growth forward.”

Announced in March 2007, the Mazda Advancement Plan (MAP) includes business targets to be achieved in fiscal year 2010, namely: 1.6 million global retail sales, an operating profit over 200 billion yen, a return on sales (ROS) ratio of six percent, and a stable payout of dividends. In order to achieve these targets, Mazda will leverage its annual straight time production capacity in Japan, which is currently 996,000 units per year.

Mazda is enjoying strong sales thanks to the high acclaim its vehicles have received from media and customers around the world. The all-new Mazda2 (known as the all-new Mazda Demio in Japan) has won 36 awards globally since its launch in 2007, including the 2008 World Car of the Year and the RJC Car of the Year award in Japan. The all-new Mazda6 (Mazda Atenza) has already won awards from major automobile magazines in Finland and Germany. The all-new Mazda Atenza went on sale in Japan in January 2008 and received 4,500 orders in its first month of sales, three times the monthly sales target. The Mazda CX-9 was also chosen as the 2008 North American Truck of the Year. These awards provide further recognition of the manufacturing excellence for which Mazda is known around the world.

Mazda will continue to strive for a sustainable future while offering iconic vehicles in the best Zoom-Zoom tradition, i.e., cars that “look inviting to drive, are fun to drive, and make you want to drive them again.”

Source: Mazda Motor Corporation

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that it will conduct testing on public roadways of its Driving Safety Support Systems*1 (DSSS) using inter-vehicle and road-to-vehicle communications. The tests, which will be conducted using the “Honda ASV-4” Advanced Safety Vehicle*2 and other vehicles equipped with advanced safety technology, will be carried out between Monday, March 24, and Friday, March 28, on public roadways in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

This round of testing is being conducted as part of a cooperative project that includes Phase 4 of the Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV) project, conducted under the auspices of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s Road Transport Bureau, and the DSSS, being developed principally by the Universal Traffic Management Society of Japan (UTMS), which is overseen by the National Police Agency. The purpose of the project is to utilize positional information gleaned from communications between motorcycles, automobiles, and road infrastructure to help prevent certain types of traffic accidents which tend to occur frequently.

Honda will conduct these public-road tests using a Forza scooter and an Odyssey automobile equipped with the inter-vehicle communications technologies being developed as part of the the Honda ASV-4, along with two more of the same models equipped with Honda DSSS technologies*3. The objectives of the testing will be 1) to verify inter-vehicle and road-to-vehicle communications functions; 2) to verify DSSS functions; and 3) to collect and present data that will contribute to evaluating system effectiveness, thereby contributing to the prevention of accidents involving rear-end collisions, collisions between turning vehicles and oncoming vehicles, and collisions involving turning vehicles with vehicles passing on the inside.

Since late 2007 Honda has also been collecting the necessary data on basic properties affecting the propagation and transmission of radio signals used in inter-vehicle communications. Building on the results of the current round of public-road testing, Honda plans to participate in joint government and private-sector large-scale verification testing scheduled to be carried out in 2008, based on the New IT Reform Strategy (initiated January 19, 2006 by the IT Strategic Headquarters of the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan).

*1 Driving Safety Support Systems (DSSS): Systems that provide the driver with visual and audio information on the surrounding traffic environment to alert the drivers of possible driving-related dangers and facilitate greater attentiveness, promoting a more relaxed driving environment and preventing traffic accidents.
*2 Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV): A vehicle equipped with systems using advanced technologies to assist the driver in safe driving. The ASV project, conducted under the auspices of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, involves the cooperation of industry, academia, and government. It is currently in Phase 4 (2006~2010).
*3 The motorcycle used in DSSS testing is utilized for camera detection purposes.

Source: Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

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Honda Motor Co., Ltd., announced a summary of automobile production, Japan domestic sales, and export results for the month of February 2008.

Production in Japan experienced a year-on-year decrease for the sixth consecutive month (since September 2007). 

Production in regions outside of Japan experienced a year-on-year increase for the 31st consecutive month (since August 2005), setting an all-time record for the month of February. This includes record production in North America, the U.S., Europe, Asia, and China for the month of February.

Worldwide production also experienced a year-on-year increase for the 31st consecutive month (since August 2005), setting an all-time record for the month of February.

Total domestic sales for the month of February 2008 experienced a year-on-year increase for the second consecutive month (since January 2008).

New vehicle registrations in February experienced a year-on-year increase for the fourth consecutive month (since February 2007).

Sales of mini-vehicles in February experienced a year-on-year increase for the second consecutive month (since January 2008).

Fit was the industry’s best-selling car among new vehicle registrations for the month of February 2008, with sales of 15,980 units.

Life was the industry’s fourth best-selling car among mini-vehicles for the month of February 2008, with sales of 10,342 units.

Total exports from Japan in February 2008 experienced a year-on-year decline for the second consecutive month (since January 2008).

Source: Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

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The Renault-Nissan Alliance actively supports the initiative of Project Better Place which announced today its second deployment in Denmark.

Renault will provide Danish customers with 100% electric vehicles at European standards in 2011, providing zero emission mobility while at the same time offering driving performance similar to a gasoline engine.
Nissan, through its joint venture with NEC, has created an advanced lithium-ion battery pack that both meets the requirements of this electric vehicle and can be mass-produced.
In Denmark, the conditions necessary for electric vehicles to be successfully mass-marketed are being brought together. The Danish government will provide tax incentives on 100% electric vehicles, Renault will supply the electric vehicles and, Better Place Denmark will construct and operate an Electric Recharge Grid across the entire country.

This announcement follows the January 21st 2008 signature of an MOU in Jerusalem by Renault and Project Better Place for the first mass-marketed electric vehicles. This second deployment illustrates the major role played by the Renault-Nissan Alliance to bring to mass-market zero-emission cars.

Renault Corporate
The Renault Group generated global revenues of €40,682 million in 2007. It designs, engineers, manufactures and sells passenger and light commercial vehicles throughout the world. The Renault Group is present in 118 countries and sells vehicles under its three brands – Renault, Dacia and Samsung. The Renault Group employs 129,000 people worldwide.

Nissan Corporate
The Nissan Motor Company generated global net revenues of 10.468 trillion yen in 2006. Nissan is present in all major global auto markets selling a comprehensive range of cars, pickup trucks, SUVs and light commercial vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. Nissan employs over 220,000 people worldwide.

Renault-Nissan Alliance
The Renault-Nissan Alliance, created in 1999, has sold 6,160,046 vehicles in 2007. The Alliance aims to be ranked in the top three in terms of quality, technology and profitability amongst the major global automakers.

Source: Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.