Denka Group’s Challenges

The Denka Group recognizes limited water resources as a global issue increasingly linked to climate change. Ensuring the maintenance and improvement of water quality in drain water discharged from our business sites into public water bodies, such as seas and rivers, is a key priority. Efficient use of water is also essential to ensure the continuity of production operations. We effectively utilize water resources for hydropower generation. However, since climate change may impact water availability, with risks such as droughts, heavy rainfall, and floods varying by location, we believe that evaluating and preparing for future risks is crucial.

Specific Initiatives

At major plants such as the Chiba Plant and Omi Plant, Denka has been reusing water and reduces water withdrawal by circulating cooling water for equipment. Also, since FY2021, Denka has been continuously conducting water risk assessments for its Group locations using the Aqueduct water risk map. For its domestic locations, Denka performs detailed evaluations of the current water withdrawal, discharge, and circulation levels to better understand potential risks. In FY2023, the Group’s water usage increased slightly compared to the previous year, due to factors such as an increase in factory cleaning cycles. To reduce water usage, the Denka Group plans to continue focusing on pipeline maintenance and recovery and reuse initiatives.

Total water withdrawal

Water used

Water Risk Assessment

Denka recognizes that the manufacturing plants with high water risks are those in Vietnam and China, and that sites with high water stress are those in China (Suzhou). We know that approximately 30% of Denka’s major plants, which account for 90% or more of our sales, are in sites with high water stress. We will continue to assess and improve water risk according to the establishment of new sites and business activities.