## (4) Global Expansion of Japanese Low-Carbon Technologies and Systems

### A. Global expansion of low-carbon technologies in the iron and steel industry

Japanese technologies and systems for a low-carbon society are globally expanding in a variety of fields. One example is technology related to the iron and steel industry.

In the process of producing iron, a large amount of carbon dioxide is emitted. However, when comparing the specific energy consumption of the iron and steel industries of various countries, Japan consumes less than other countries and its volume of energy used to produce the same volume of iron is comparatively small (Figure 4-3-19). It can therefore be said that if Japan's technologies for iron production are widely spread to other countries it will lead to production that uses less energy, which will contribute to creation of a global low-carbon society.

The major energy-saving technologies developed in Japan’s iron and steel industry are now widely spread to other countries and are significantly contributing to $ CO_{2} $ emissions reduction outside Japan. These technologies include the coke dry quenching system and top pressure recovery turbines. Coke dry quenching is a technology that uses nitrogen instead of conventional water for cooling red-hot coke in cooling systems at steel plants (Figure 4-3-20). It not only reduces $ CO_{2} $ emissions, but also leads to saving water resources and reducing nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide. Top pressure recovery turbines collect exhaust pressure released from the top of the blast furnace when iron ore is reduced in the blast furnace during the smelting process, and generate electricity from dedicated turbines. It is expected that introduction of these turbines will conserve energy by using energy that was previously disposed of. These systems are being disseminated to other countries such as China, South Korea, India, Russia, Uruguay, and Brazil, and it is believed that their effects on reduction of $ CO_{2} $ emissions had reached a total of approximately 33 million ton- $ CO_{2} $ as of October 2009 (Table 4-3-4). In addition, the potential reduction of carbon dioxide emissions if these energy-conserving technologies are internationally transferred and widely spread is believed to be 130 million ton- $ CO_{2} $ per year for the seven countries participating in the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, and 340 million ton- $ CO_{2} $ per year globally (equivalent to approximately 25% of Japan’s emissions).

### B. Global Expansion of Technologies for Electric Power Generation

In Japan there are a number of technologies related to electric power generation. Among them, the highly efficient coal-fired power generation process is expected to be a technology with a great deal of potential for future reduction of greenhouse gases.

Coal-fired power generation technology includes supercritical pressure power generation and ultra-supercritical pressure power generation. More than 60%

Source: The Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) "International Comparisons of Energy Efficiency (Sectors of Electricity Generation, Iron and Steel, and Cement)"

Table 4-3-4 Emission Reductions in Other Countries from Japanese Energy-saving Equipment (as of October 2009)

No. of units	Reduction effects (kt- $ CO_{2} $ / year)
CDQ (Coke dry quenching)	55	8,620
TRT (Top pressure recovery turbines)	47	7,897
GTCC (Byproduct gas combustion)	24	11,858
Basic oxygen furnace OG gas recovery	17	3,481
Basic oxygen furnace sensible heat recovery	7	848
Sintering exhaust heat recovery	5	725
Total emission reduction	33,429

Source: handouts prepared for "Mid- and Long-Term Roadmap Subcommittee" (June 11, 2010), prepared by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation

of Japan’s coal-fired power generation is highly efficient (ultra supercritical pressure or supercritical pressure) power generation. In terms of the efficiency of coal-fired power generation Japan has consistently been at the highest level in the world since 1990 (Figure 4-3-21). In addition, according to statistics by the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, the potential of highly-efficient coal-fired power generation technology for reducing $ CO_{2} $ emissions is believed to be equivalent to slightly more than 10% of the world’s total potential for $ CO_{2} $ emissions reduction (Figure 4-3-22), and there are high hopes for