ITOCHU : Announces Participation in Office Decarbonization Project Including Introduction of Electric Vehicles

ITOCHU Announces Participation in Office Decarbonization Project Including Introduction of Electric Vehicles

May 11, 2022

ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Keita Ishii, President & COO; hereinafter "ITOCHU") announced today that it would work with SPK Corporation (headquartered in Fukushima-ku, Osaka; Kyoichiro Oki, President; hereinafter "SPK"), a major trading company specializing in automotive spare parts and accessories , in SPK's project for the decarbonization of its Tokyo sales office building.

In association with today's decarbonization in the Japanese business sector, it has been proposed that the electric power generated from solar energy and other renewable energy sources be used and that electric vehicles (EVs) be used for business activities and deliveries. However, complete decarbonization cannot be achieveed though individual measures alone. In particular, the introduction of EVs requires the optimal designt and installation of recharging facilities and recharging operation plans. Concerns lack of electric power management expertise and its running cost increases mean that energy management system that will resolve these issues is needed.

SPK is working to increase its actions for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in accordance with its Vision 2030, which defines what SPK aims to be in the future. Paying attention to ITOCHU's one-stop service encompassing everything from EV introduction to energy management of entire offices, SPK made the decision to collaborate on this project.

For this project, ITOCHU will provide EVs it owns to SPK to evaluate their practical utility. In addition, it will offer consultation regarding the introduction and operation of dedicated rechargers and a peak shifting solution that combines the rechargers with control systems, and services including the procurement of virtually CO₂free electricity and the artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted optimization of the entire office's power consumption using a combination of solar power generation and energy storage devices. Thus, ITOCHU will be commissioned to achieve the decarbonization of the office that is sought by SPK and aim to further the commercialization of its total solution packages in this domain.

ITOCHU's Brand-new Deal 2023, its medium-term management plan, includes "business transformation through the incorporation of consumer needs into products" and "continued contribution to/efforts in the SDGs" in its Basic Policies. Through these actions, ITOCHU will answer customers' demand for renewable energy and help decarbonize logistical networks with the goal of resolving issues with a view towards the realization of a sustainable society.

Overview of the Project

Location	SPK's Tokyo sales office building and parking lot
Schedule	Evaluation to commence around May 2022
Evaluation Period	One year (planned)

ITOCHU's role

· Provision of two electric vehicles (a passenger car and a van for deliveries)
· Provision of two EV chargers (ordinary recharging) and a charging control system
· Installation of solar panels on the roof of the Tokyo sales office building and construction of a system for adjusting demand and supply with the existing power grid
· Consulting regarding the establishment of a completely decarbonized office excluding existing vehicles for business purposes, such as gasoline-powered vehicles, using virtually CO₂ emissions-free power to recharge EVs

SPK's role

· Provision of the Tokyo sales office building as a demonstration trial site
· Operation of two EVs as vehicles for business purposes including delivery
· Capital investments in solar panels, energy storage devices, construction of a charging system and other matters
· Provision of of data from the demonstration trial including the decarbonization system and the two EVs based on ITOCHU's consulting
· Maintenance of the two EVs and acquisition of knowledge (Maintenance of one of the two EVs will be conducted by an SPK Group company.)

Outline of SPK Corporation

President	Kyoichiro Oki
Head Office	5-4 Fukushima 5-chome, Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Japan
Establishment	1917
Capitalization	898 million yen
Number of Employees	389（SPK group）
Sales	41.9 billion yen (Consolidated FY ending March 2021)
URL	https://www.spk.co.jp/english/index.html

Illustrations of the wrapping for the two EVs that will be provided

■ Contact information for this release
Corporate Communications Division, or Isuzu & Mobility Business Department, Machinery Company, ITOCHU Corporation　Inquiry form

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