Affected by the fact that the mainstay item of LPG stocked was being sold at a low price throughout the term following the downward-going CP, Iwatani’s corporate FY account ended with sales decreased by 1.7%, operating profit by 39.7%, ordinary profit by 33.7% and the net income for the term by 40.8%, while the industrial gas segment marked an increase in sales by 5.8% and operating profit by 30.4%.

Including the loss of about JPY10.4 billion brought from the previous term in connection with the setting deviation of the fiscal term, the total energy business for the term ended with a sales decreased by 5.5% and operating income by 80.6%.

As aforementioned, the industrial gas business including related equipment marked an increase in both sales and profit. In the field of air gases there was recovery of consumption for automobiles and electronic products, while the growth in sales of helium to overseas users and the expanded sales of welding-related machines and materials contributed to the increase. On a quantity basis, oxygen was up by 1%, nitrogen up by 7%, argon up by 21%, carbon dioxide down by 5%, helium up by 52%. Hydrogen sales stayed flat, but LH2 grew by 6% with 10 more cases of use.

Iwatani invested a total of JPY18.843 billion as a whole during the term, including 10.419 billion for the industrial gas-related business which consists of 2.8 billion for H2 stations and helium liquid containers and LO2 plant in Sakai City, Osaka.

For this term an investment of 26 billion is planned, out of which 17.6 billion will be for the industrial gas-related business. The H2 station-related business will take 8.1 billion, while the others will include helium gas containers and ASU in Indonesia.

The hydrogen station business had been brought into a commercial phase after all. During the term 2 stations were opened in Amagasaki and Kokura, while in April of this year a station was opened in Tokyo Shiba Park. In 2015, the construction of hydrogen stations will hit a peak toward the implementation of the targeted 20 locations as already announced as slogan. Hisato Ueha, vice president said, “We first place priority on the completion of our own equipment and sales of relative equipment.”

Regarding the increase of the electricity cost, he commented that the approximate increased portion of JPY400 million has already been responded with means including the revision of price, but it is inevitable to work out some measures to cope with further rise from April 2015. Iwatani forecasts it business for this year to attain sales to JPA 700 billion (up by 1.2%), operating profit to 20.7 billion (up by 85.2%), ordinary earnings to 21 billion (up by 64.6%) and net profit for the term to 11 billion (up by 77.4%).

Although the target value of the corporate mid-term business plan (PLAN 15) in sales and profit, Masao Nomura, president explained saying, “It is because the estimated CP price of LPG is lower than that expected by JPY360 per ton.” The forecast of the industrial gas–related business is that sales amounts to JPY175 billion (up by 7.8%) and operating profit to JPY6.5 billion (up by 2.8%).