“A round table conference was held at Air Water by the Energy Division in which plans were revealed regarding expansion of existing business lines centering around new products. What was revealed were topics gearing up to 2020 with a policy involving the tackling of electric power generation and LNG distribution.

Toshihiko Akatsu, senior managing director, head of the Agriculture and Food and Energy businesses, and the driving force behind this, expressed his views. He felt that there is a correction going on regarding the value of the yen and that stock prices are rising. Nevertheless, with the globalization of the economy and the hollowing out of industry, “The Japanese economy always faces the risk of a downturn.” Based on this presumption, to promote further growth of the energy business of the company, he explained that, “The development of new products and the promotion of a strategy thoroughly rooted in the regions are extremely important. Also extremely important for the development of the next growth driver is tackling the electric power generation business, making full use of the managerial resources we have.”

Specifically, he came up with various measures as core policies to be implemented this year；

One is the proposal of a changeover of fuel to LNG as well as a package composed of related products. He also came up with the installation of a kerosene storage tank in Hokkaido and the promotion of the sales of LNG trucks and movable electric power source vehicles. As for LNG trucks, Air Water will expand sales of an LNG truck with the largest load capacity sold in Japan of 15.7 tons, put on the market in June of last year. In addition, there is also a movable power source vehicle which the company working on mainly in Hokkaido. This vehicle will show its true value during times of disaster. Regarding this vehicle he will propose deployment nationwide at secondary LNG centers.

He came up with the following 3 topics, heading toward the year 2020:

Electric power generation business
The business of procuring and distributing LNG
A synergetic business of renewable energy and agricultural products
Regarding electric power generation, “Including the on-site facilities located on the premises of the customers, we pay some 45 billion in electricity fees a year. The topic of starting up an electric power generation business is a one faced with some very high hurdles, but is still a challenge to be met,” he said. This is under consideration right now. Regarding renewable energy and agricultural products, we are going along based on the assumption of low temperature storage of rice and vegetables using ice storage rooms which utilize the snow which falls in Hokkaido (the northemmost area of Japan). He noted enthusiastically, “I would like to aim at a business worth 10 billion.””