Sustainability

Water Resource Conservation

Basic Approach

The NGK Group holds that promoting resource recycling is a key issue for our business. We, therefore, also strive to efficiently utilize the water needed for manufacturing ceramics. We also believe that these efforts will help to reduce the burden on the global environment. Moving forward, we will expand them to our supply chain and endeavor to further reduce water risks.

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Targets and Achievements

Under the fifth 5-Year Environmental Action Plan which started in FY2021, we set water withdrawals per unit of sales for the entire Group as an indicator. Then, to begin with, we set a target of maintaining a level of 1,000 m³/100 million yen per unit of sales, which was the level in FY2019 before the drop in production due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. In FY2023, we achieved this target at 730 m³/100 million yen.

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Handling and Risk Management of Water Resources

The NGK Group strives for efficient utilization of water and management of risks related to water resources from the perspective of sustainability.
Since last fiscal year, we have begun investigating water risks and environmental impacts at each of our locations, using the LEAP approach recommended by the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).
In FY2023, there were no major violations of standards or regulations related to wastewater quality at any NGK Group locations inside or outside of Japan.

Evaluation of Water Risks

With regards to water risks at all production sites both inside and outside Japan, we have used simple methods to assess the degree of water shortage at each site based on the amount of water supplied by rivers in the region where it is located. Meanwhile, we have commissioned a detailed third-party analysis focusing on our overseas sites. In its assessment of water supply and demand risks, this detailed analysis forecasts future water supply by evaluating aquifers, seasonal variations, and the water storage capacity of dams, in addition to the amount of water supplied by rivers. Aside from this, it also analyzes water disaster risks (floods and landslides) and water quality risks (sanitation and ecology), to provide a comprehensive risk assessment.
These efforts have enabled us to ascertain the water risks at all overseas production sites, and share this information with each site.
None of the sites currently faces serious water risks, but we continue to keep an eye on regulatory trends, and are working to improve water utilization efficiency as necessary.
We also use the analysis tool Aqueduct to assess water risks for our main suppliers with the goal of strengthening our supply chain.

Number of Overseas Production Sites in Regions with Latent Water Risks

Region No. of sites Water supply and demand Water disasters Vulnerability to water pollution
Current 2040 Public health Ecosystems
North and Central America 5 0 1 0 0 0
Europe and other regions 5 2 0 0 2 3
China 3 0 0 0 0 0
Asia and Australia 7 0 5 0 1 1

Efficiency of Water Utilization at Group Companies

We created guidelines aimed at optimizing water use (implementation status checklist), and have conducted current situation surveys for efficient water utilization at all production sites inside and outside of Japan since FY2015. Hereafter, we will work to flesh out these guidelines through case research at each Group site, as well as other companies, and promote efforts to optimize water use at our sites. In this way, we are preparing against future deterioration in water supply and demand.

Utilization of Reclaimed Water at NGK Ceramic Device (NCDK)

The production process for SAW bonded wafers, manufactured by our NCDK Komaki Plant, consumes large quantities of water. So we installed a system which uses ceramic membrane filters to reclaim this water, and began using it in April 2022. Adoption of this system has allowed us to supply approximately 37,000 m3 of reclaimed water, out of our approximately 170,000 m3 of water intake during FY2023. Meanwhile, we have introduced an even higher capacity system at the NCDK Fujiyoshida Plant, which uses the same process. So, we are promoting more efficient water use even in Japan, where water supply and demand risks are small.

This is a photograph of water reclamation system in operation at NCDK Fujiyoshida Plant.

Water reclamation system in operation at NCDK Fujiyoshida Plant

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