Starting the Project for Activated Carbon Fibers (ACF) Air Purification Unit in the Republic of Indonesia - A JICA-adopted Project -
October 18. 2018
Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
Osaka Gas Engineering Co., Ltd.
Osaka Gas Engineering Co., Ltd. (President: Takeshi Yamawaki; hereinafter, “OGE”), a 100% subsidiary of Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (President: Takehiro Honjo; hereinafter, “OG”), started a demonstration project to reduce a roadside air pollutant, nitrogen oxide (NOx), by using an air purification system with activated carbon fiber*1 (ACF) in Indonesia. The project, intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system and promote its widespread installation, is adopted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) as one of its Collaboration Programs with the Private Sector for Disseminating Japanese Technologies for the Social and Economic Development of Developing Countries.
Amid intensified traffic congestion due to rapid economic growth and associated changes in the living environment recently, Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, has been facing severe air pollution on roadways. In central Jakarta, for instance, the concentration of NOx, a causal substance of respiratory diseases, reaches nearly twice the level of the guideline set by the World Health Organization (WHO).*2 The incidence rate of asthma among children aged 13 to 14 is several times higher than in Japan.*3
To improve air quality in Indonesia by using the ACF air purification technology held by the Daigas Group, OGE applied for the above JICA project, repeatedly discussed and negotiated with the Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Housing, and finally installed the ACF units, right in front of a general hospital on the national highway,*4 in the southern part of Jakarta. The system features (1) air purification by using natural wind without using electric power, (2) refreshable NOx removing capacity by washing or with rain, and thus (3) easy maintenance and long-term benefits, effectively mitigating air pollution in developing countries. With support from JICA, OGE will verify the system’s effectiveness in Indonesia’s tropical environment over the next year.
The ACF units used in this project, which have already been installed on highways in Tokyo and Osaka, have an additional catalytic function to remove NOx.
Through the marketing of ACF and improvement of the environment, the Daigas Group continues to contribute to society.
*1: Osaka Gas has previously produced gas from coal. ACF is one of the technologies developed by the company to effectively use coal tar, a by-product of producing gas from coal.
*2: Jakarta Polices Traffic Directorate, BPLHD Jakarta, 2014
*3: International Study Asthma and Allergies in Childhood, 2012
*4: Jalan TB Simatupang, South Jakarta, DKI Jakarta Province
[Structure of an ACF unit]
[ACF units installed in Jakarta]
[Corporate Overview]
◆ Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
○ Location: 1-2 Hiranomachi 4-chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka
○ Business: Production, supply and sale of city gas; supply and sale of LPG; generation, supply and sale of electric power; and others
◆Osaka Gas Engineering Co., Ltd.
○ Location: 4-9 Bingomachi 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka
○ Year of establishment: 1978
○ Business: Engineering and sales of LNG production/supply facilities,
environmental protection facilities, etc.; energy services; and others
○ Shareholding structure: 100% owned by Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
○ Number of employees: approximately 110
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