Rinnai has unveiled a global plan, the ‘Innovation Manifesto’, which sets out a clear pathway to achieving carbon neutrality, to a timetable, without negating quality in product design, innovation and customer value for money.
The Rinnai Manifesto is structured into four main segments: Background to Carbon Neutrality; Initiatives and Directives to Realize Low-Carbon and Decarbonized Society; Reducing CO2 Emissions from Business Activities; and finally: Investing in Carbon Neutrality.
UK managing director Tony Gittings said: “It is a statement of firm commitment by Rinnai concerning environmental issues and the need to accept collective responsibility. We must do this – there is no Planet B. Rinnai is taking action to ensure that it is carbon neutral as soon as is realistically possible across its global estate. We are a business based on engineering excellence and are employing technological creativity to achieve the targets. It will mean, in the UK that we begin to offer a wider range of products to enable our customers achieve their own carbon reductions and eventual neutrality.”
The manifesto details a transparent assessment and appraisal of carbon emissions from production, products in use and procurement phases and this will lead to targeted action to achieve the reductions. Data shows that 95% of these emissions are produced during the working life cycle of a Rinnai product; the other 5% occurring throughout procuring materials, manufacturing, transport and disposal.
The Rinnai Manifesto details plans to halve emission created by Rinnai products and manufacturing processes by 2030. Assistance will be provided through technological innovations that allow hydrogen gas mixes to be utilized.
By 2050 further developments in this field and a full-scale international hydrogen energy transition will enable Rinnai products to be manufactured and accept clean energy. Rinnai products will be entirely clean from the obtaining of materials through to disposal of merchandise.
Rinnai is actively assisting international hydrogen development. Combustion tests on 20% – 30% hydrogen gas blends are being carried out on existing products in the UK, US and Italy. A line of hydrogen ready products already exists in the UK, (N1300i, N1300e, N1600i, and N1600e), whilst Rinnai Japan are spearheading technological innovations that facilitate 100% hydrogen usage in collaboration with other countries.
Rinnai will adapt its range of products to include original hybrid water heating systems throughout the 2020s and electrified heat pumps by 2030. Once hydrogen combustion is internationally fully operational Rinnai products will be well placed to accept 100% green energy.
As well as modifying future product ranges Rinnai is keen to expand its personal sense of responsibility to office and factory working practises. A corporate plan has been structured to ensure that Rinnai offices and factories across the world will be carbon neutral by 2050.
All Rinnai factories and offices will employ green electricity usage and carefully directed energy creation to cut Rinnai industry emissions in half by 2030. The introduction of fossil-fuel free technology and widespread promotion of energy conservation will help Rinnai achieve total decarbonisation by 2050.
Rinnai’s carbon neutral declaration will require massive financial funding. To enable clean working practises and consistent product functionality Rinnai has structured over £332 million of capital investments to be made over five years.
Approaching £200m will be invested into product development in Rinnai’s centre of design innovation; specific areas of investment include hydrogen combustion equipment, heat pumps and other next generation technologies.
£100 million will be invested into manufacturing. This flow of capital will enable a switch to renewable sources of greener energy and fossil-fuel free facilities creating greener working standards.
million will be provided into promoting sales of low carbon alternatives such as the ECO ONE hybrid water heating system and the global promotion of energy efficient water heaters. Rinnai are aware that levels of investments may rise and are prepared to provide more finances in making Rinnai fully decarbonized.
Rinnai understands its obligation to actively assist in international decarbonisation and therefore a proactive company plan of design modification on all new product ranges, a change in office and manufacturing practises, a switch to greener energy and billions of yen of investment is necessary for this ambition to be realized.
hopes by publishing its carbon neutral declaration end users can identify the urgency of action taken and sense of social responsibility the company places upon itself. Rinnai is determined to consistently provide appliances that encourage an environmentally cleaner society.