MHIEC Receives Order to Refurbish Core Components of 390 tpd MSW Incineration Plant in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture

The existing Nambu Clean Center was designed and constructed by MHI and completed in March 2000. The facility incorporates three stoker incinerators each having a processing capacity of 130 tpd. It can generate up to 3.5 megawatts (MW) of electricity.

The order newly placed with MHIEC calls for replacement or refurbishment of the superannuated facility's core equipment, used primarily for receiving waste, feeding and incineration, combustion gas cooling, flue gas treatment, ventilation, ash removal and water supply, plus electrical and instrumentation systems. The project also targets enhanced energy efficiency, largely through the adoption of MHIEC's patented "new combustion control system," which contributes to stable combustion, and the incorporation into all key system components of the Company's high-efficiency motors and inverters. With these measures the refurbished plant's CO2 emissions will be reduced by 350 tons, or more than 5.7%, per year, thereby helping to curb global warming.

Recently the number of projects to improve existing MSW incineration plants, both to extend their service lives and to reduce their impact on global warming, is increasing. Moves in this direction are also gathering further momentum with the central government's introduction in 2010 of a state subsidy system².

MHIEC took over MHI's waste treatment plant business in 2008, acquiring MHI's technological development capabilities in environmental protection systems and its abundant expertise in the construction and operation of waste management facilities both in Japan and overseas. Based on its strong track record, MHIEC today is in a prime position to provide comprehensive solutions encompassing all aspects from plant construction to operation.

Going forward, MHIEC will leverage its solid track record, including this latest order, and proactively propose further energy-saving enhancements and system improvements for stable operation at existing waste incineration facilities. In addition, the Company will work to reduce lifecycle costs, including operation and maintenance, in a quest to further expand business in this field.

Notes:
1. A stoker furnace is a common feature of MSW incineration plants. In a stoker furnace, MSW is combusted as it moves along on a fire grate made of heat-resistant castings.

2. This program, which falls under the jurisdiction of Japan's Ministry of the Environment, promotes effective use of existing waste treatment facilities as one measure to address the issue of global warming. Local (city, town or village) governments that seek to extend the operational life and lessen the environmental impact of their MSW facilities receive subsidies covering one-third of their project costs.