Bridgestone taps solar energy to power Japan, Thailand plants

TOKYO—As part of its drive toward carbon neutrality, Bridgestone Corp. has begun tapping solar energy to help power tire plants in Japan and Thailand.

In Japan, Bridgestone installed solar panels on the roofs of tire plants in Shimonoseki and Kitakyushu capable of generating 5.8 megawatts (MW) of power—sufficient to cover the plants' electricity needs—while at the same time reducing the plants' annual CO2 emissions of approximately 2,700 metric tons, the company said.

In Thailand, Bridgestone installed solar panels on the roof of its Nong Khae plant capable of generating 9.95 MWp and helping to cut the plant's CO2 emissions by 97,500 tons over the coming 15 years.

By promoting the use of renewable energy, Bridgestone seeks to fulfill the corporate commitment of "Energy: Committed to the realization of a carbon neutral mobility society" described in the company's "E8 Commitment."

These projects are in addition to the installation in early 2021 of eight acres of solar panels on the grounds at its tire plant in Aiken, S.C. Those panels generate enough electricity to power 200 homes per year and help reduce the tire plant's carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 1,400 metric tons annually, according to Bridgestone.

Bridgestone has declared it intends to reduce absolute CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2030 as compared with 2011, in part by sourcing over half of its electrical energy needs from renewable sources by 2023 and 100 percent by 2030.

Bridgestone already has transitioned to renewable energy for all electricity purchased at all of Bridgestone EMIA's locations in Europe, four plants in Japan (Hikone, Shimonoseki, Tosu, and Kitakyushu), and two plants in China (Tianjin and Wuxi).