TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Silicone Division of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Tokyo; President, Yasuhiko Saitoh) will implement an investment totaling JPY20 billion to help facilitate its efforts to achieve a reduction in the volume of greenhouse gas emissions.

1. Investment for the reduction in the volume of greenhouse gas emissions in our company’s manufacturing processes.

At the Silicone Division’s main manufacturing plant, the Gunma Complex, we will reduce the greenhouse gas emission volume by 14% compare to that of the present time by further increasing the degree of self-sufficiency in our usage of electric power. The investment amount is for a total of JPY10 billion.

2. Capital investment for the reduction in the volume of greenhouse gas emissions in our customers’ manufacturing processes and the increase of our supply capacity of products used in environmentally friendly products.

We will strengthen our supply capacity of products that contribute to the environment. These include modified silicone fluids, silicone rubber for molding, and heat-dissipation thermal interface silicone materials. The investment amount is for a total of JPY10 billion, and it will be implemented at the Gunma Complex.

Shin-Etsu Chemical is carrying out a Carbon Neutral policy as one of the key issues of management. The Silicone Division has developed and is marketing a millable-type of molding silicone rubber that does not require post-cure in its manufacturing process. By using this product, it became possible to reduce the processing time by about 90%, compared to that needed for the conventional product, and it makes possible energy saving and the improvement of productivity for customers. *

In addition, the applications of the low-density type of silicone rubber that realize lighter-weight rubber molded products are growing in many industrial fields such as automobiles and transportation vehicles like airplanes, as well as in other diverse fields such as wearable devices, and this contributes to energy saving by making them lighter-weight. In addition to these two innovative products we are now marketing, we are developing and supplying many silicone products that contribute to the global environment by such means as helping to achieve reductions in the volume of greenhouse gas emissions.

Towards the realization of Carbon Neutral that Japan as well as other major industrial nations are striving to achieve, Shin-Etsu Chemical will further focus on strengthening our efforts to reduce our company’s greenhouse gas emissions, and at the same time, we will develop, produce and supply products that help facilitate the reduction of emissions, starting with for our customers as well as for society as a whole.

*Comparison data for cases when the 2mm-thickness silicone sheets were produced.