Japanese construction company Penta-Ocean Construction will rebuild its steel structure factory in Muroran City, Hokkaido. The building will be equipped with green hydrogen and other energy sources produced with surplus electricity from solar power generation. The plant including the offices, will be converted into a net zero energy building (ZEB). An executive of the company said that the company hopes to make it a carbon-neutral base.

The new factory will consist of a single-story factory building and a two-story office building. The total floor area will be 9,595 square meters. Construction began in September with opening slated in October 2022.

In consideration of the low temperature in winter, the office building will use plastic sashes to improve heat insulation. Energy conservation will also be part of the project; the use of lighting film to reduce the lighting load and the introduction of high-efficiency air conditioning equipment are being considered. The energy use at the office is expected to decrease by 62%. In terms of energy creation, 670 kW PV panels and 30 kW hydrogen fuel cells will be installed on the roof, and green power will be used for all electricity to be used at the office and the factory.

The plant will use green hydrogen produced from byproduct hydrogen and surplus electricity from solar power generation. The byproduct hydrogen will be stored in tanks and used constantly in part of the office to generate electricity using fuel cells. The production capacity will also be increased. The new plant will produce 400 tons steel structures every month, compared to 250 tons per month at the existing plant. (2021/11/11)