North America Now One of Hitachi’s Largest Markets For Environmentally Sound Power Production Solutions
LAS VEGAS, Nevada, December 10, 2003 – Speaking today at PowerGen 2003, Hitachi, Ltd., Power and Industrial Systems President and CEO, Shozo Saito, focused on the growth in Hitachi’s North America power business and the ability of the company’s technology to provide environmentally sound power producing systems and solutions for regional and global application.
“Since the mid 90’s, Hitachi has been capitalizing on its corporate strength, experience, and industry leading technology to assess its proper place in the American power market. Using our global credentials and proven installed base in Canada, and Central and South America, Hitachi turned its focus to the American power market and has successfully established itself as a major presence. Indeed, for the first time in our history, the North American market, excepting Japan, has become a larger market for us than Asia,” said Mr. Saito.
In the past several years, Hitachi has successfully introduced supercritical coal-fired technology into the North American market with the EPCOR/Genesee Phase 3 495MW Supercritical Power Station project in Edmonton, Canada and MidAmerican Energy’s Council Bluffs unit 4 in Iowa in addition to other selected large projects currently under development. It is Hitachi’s conviction that the best way to meet the requirements of the US coal fired power market is to cooperate with US Engineering companies by sharing the company’s experiences in building supercritical power plants in Japan, South America and Canada.
According to Mr. Saito, Hitachi leads the industry in the development of low NOx burners with its NR3 design as well as parallel plate SCR catalyst. As the original developer of SCR catalyst, Hitachi has more than 500 total units and more than 180 coal fired units in service. Hitachi’s current catalyst dramatically reduces mercury and sulfur trioxide emissions. Hitachi will soon be introducing a fuel gas desulphurization technology with many advantages – including high sustainable SO2 removal levels. Hitachi’s environmental mission is driven by our unyielding moral code in matters pertaining to environmental preservation. The Kyoto Protocol formed the base for the company’s corporate environmental goals and its unrelenting research and product improvement commitments afford Hitachi the claim of industry leader in the power generation market.
Mr. Saito said that, “In America, Hitachi is driven by the requirements of the latest US Energy Bill and all of its individual initiatives. Hitachi is well equipped to manufacture, erect, and build facilities fully compliant with federal, state, regional and local environmental regulations. Hitachi’s service organization is available to help our customers with any of these products individually or, more ideally, develop a program that includes a number of the products. This provides an optimal, integrated solution including turbine upgrades that will quickly provide a return for the investment.”
Concluding his remarks, Mr. Saito said, Hitachi intends to use its considerable assets to collaborate with developers, utilities and engineering companies to find solutions to the present, and to help turn the power business around for the benefit of all. Major international corporations must take on this responsibility and I am pleased to announce that Hitachi is already doing its part by aggressively promoting environmentally sound power solutions and backing its commitment with its global strength and local presence.”
About Hitachi Hitachi's Power and Industrial Systems Group, including the Power and Industrial Division of Hitachi America, employs more than 90,000 people around the world. Hitachi is one of only a few companies worldwide that can provide the expertise and total systems needed to cover a wide spectrum of energy needs: nuclear, thermal and hydroelectric power plant systems, as well as the speedy, efficient information system infrastructures required to compete in a global marketplace.
By developing new technologies and streamlining various installation processes, Hitachi will continue to provide new, highly efficient generating systems that meet the energy needs of tomorrow.
Hitachi America, Ltd., Power & Industrial Division supplies a broad range of products and services for use in both the power generation market as well as the industrial market. The division supplies major equipment to power generation and distribution facilities, including hydroelectric, thermal and nuclear power plants. The Power and Industrial Division supplies sophisticated equipment and components for industrial use, including steel plants, mass transit systems, chemical plants, and other manufacturing facilities.
Hitachi America, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., markets and manufactures a broad range of electronics, computer systems and products, and consumer electronics, and provides industrial equipment and services throughout North America. For more information, visit http://www.hitachi.us.
Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company, with approximately 340,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2002 (ended March 31, 2003) consolidated sales totaled 8,191.7 billion yen ($68.3 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors, including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.hitachi.com.