Bridgestone has announced plans to invest ￥10.2bn (US$94.2m) to install state-of-the-art equipment within facilities at its flagship production plant for tires for mining and construction vehicles in Shimonoseki, Japan. Installation of the new equipment is expected to begin in 2022, with a completion date set for the end of 2025.
The investment comes as part of the company’s Mid-Term Business Plan to enhance production systems in the areas of safety, quality, productivity, eco-friendliness and disaster preparedness, while strengthening and expanding the company’s mining tire and solutions business.
Alongside the new equipment, infrastructure will also be installed to contribute to Bridgestone’s Sustainability Business Framework roadmap, which involves linking company initiatives for recycling resources and contributing to the realization of a carbon neutral society. To aid in achieving the company goal, Bridgestone will install solar power generation equipment to increase the amount of the Shimonoseki plant’s electricity generated from renewable energy, which will subsequently reduce the site’s CO2 emissions and environmental impact.
In keeping with its sustainable business practices, a water purification system will also be installed at the site to convert water used in tire production into drinking water, to further reduce the facility’s impact on the surrounding environment. Both of the systems will be available for use by the surrounding communities in the event of a natural disaster.
As part of Bridgestone’s Milestone 2030 medium-term environmental targets, the company aims to reduce total CO2 emissions by 50% from 2011’s level by 2030. The long-term target is to be carbon neutral by 2050. As part of the 2030 goal, Bridgestone is looking to implement further water resource management plans to achieve fair and sustainable water usage based on environmental conditions within the region as part of the Bridgestone Water Stewardship Policy.
