Sustainability of erex Group
erex Group, in its “2030 Vision”, has set the slogan, “～To realize a sustainable society～, to become a pioneer in the new era of electric power with renewable energy at the core'' and is directly contributing to the realization of a de-carbonized society through biomass power generation business, which is one of its pillar businesses.
We have been in the biomass power generation business since 2013, and currently operate five biomass power plants in Japan, and sell CO2-free menus in the power retail business, contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions for customers.
Our biomass power generation is renewable energy using plant-derived fuels such as PKS, which is the residue from palm oil extraction, and wood pellets.
The amount of CO2 emitted from combustion during power generation is offset by the amount of CO2 absorbed through photosynthesis during the growth process of raw materials, making it “carbon neutral'' fuel which does not actually affect the increase or decrease of CO2 in the atmosphere.
Utilizing this knowledge in Japan, we are currently working on biomass power generation projects in Southeast Asia, mainly in Vietnam and Cambodia. In Southeast Asia, demands for electric power are increasing due to economic growth, and there is also a need for de-carbonization. On the other hand, this region has a tropical monsoon climate and is rich in unused biomass resources.
We believe that biomass power generation, which utilizes this abundant resource, is an extremely effective solution for achieving both economic growth and de-carbonization in Southeast Asia. In addition, biomass power generation projects can generate electric power regardless of the weather, so they have longer operating times than other renewable energy sources and can realize stable power generation.
These efforts require the help of local workers to bring in fuel and operate power plants, but in other words, they contribute to revitalizing the local economy and promoting agriculture through employment.
We will earn profits from this business, and also expect to earn profits through the carbon credit scheme in the near future. By reinvesting these profits, we conduct truly sustainable business activities. We believe that this will lead to the goal of "leaving no one behind" in the SDGs, as well as solving various problems such as "eliminating poverty" and "clean energy for all."
Regarding CO2 reduction, we calculate how much our business contributes to reducing CO2 in the world as the "amount of contribution to reduction", and have set a goal of contributing to a CO2 reduction of 25 million t-CO2/year in 2030.
In the future, we will vigorously pursue various initiatives, such as building new biomass power plants not only in Japan but also mainly in Southeast Asia, converting existing coal-fired power plants to biomass (fuel conversion), developing new biomass fuels, and developing solar power plants.
De-carbonization and CO2 reduction are borderless issues that are not limited to Japan. We will respond to these issues through our business. erex will change the future by working on carbon credits, which we are currently working on, and beyond that, by working on afforestation projects with an eye on carbon negative.
I believe that facing various social issues, such as global environmental issues and human rights issues, and taking on the challenge of making a major contribution to social development and problem solving will lead to stronger business competitiveness. Efforts to increase sustainability as a company by contributing to the realization of the SDGs are the very essence of our management.
Based on this idea, in order to achieve our vision, including our sustainability goals, it is essential that each employee transforms, increases the company's ability to create value, and solves social issues. We will actively work on human resource management and create /provide an environment where employees can use their free ideas to take on the challenge of solving as many social issues as possible.
erex will continue to engage in responsible dialogue with all stakeholders, resolve social issues through business, and strive for sustainable growth of erex.
erex Co., Ltd.
Hitoshi Honna, Representative Director and President
