BookTitleToyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Summary

Toyota Tsusho 70-Year History

and the Matsuyama Biomass Power Plant, in 2017, byleveraging the engineering capabilities it had developed.These plants were designed from the viewpoint ofimproving forest environments through effective useof forest resources and promoting the use of renewableenergy.8 Navigating a Transforming Energy MarketThe shift from oil and coal to LNG, biomass, andrenewable energy is trending worldwide. And the energyrelatedbusinesses of Toyota Tsusho are changing inresponse. Toyotsu Energy Corp., which had been dealingin domestic petroleum?derived fuel sales, and ToyotaTsusho Petroleum, based in Singapore which had beensupplying bunker oil at world’s ports, both converted toand started supplying biomass fuel and plan to sell LNGin northeastern Japan and supplying LNG fuel to shipsin Mikawa Bay. In the power generation field, ToyotaTsusho started to look beyond proven energy sources,such as wind, solar, and biomass, and began a foray intohydroelectric and geothermal energy with the goal ofparticipating in power transmission and storage and retailpower projects in which these renewable energy sourceshave been secured.Section 5 The Chemicals and Electronics Division1 Synergies Among Three SectorsThe Chemicals and Electronics Division combined thethree areas of materials for automobiles, chemicals, andelectronics into one to create synergies that expandedbusiness. In the automotive materials field, the divisionexpanded its manufacturing and sales of resin andrubber for automobiles and grew its supply of parts andworkpieces for automotive batteries through a globalnetwork. It also expanded its role in the chemicalsbusiness, in raw materials for detergents, in hygieneproducts, and in packaging materials for use in generalconsumer goods, among other areas of business.In the electronics field, as part of Japan’s largestgeneral trading company group for electronics devices,the Chemicals and Electronics Division deals in a widerange of electronic components and software that isembeddedinautomotiveandindustrialequipment.2 New Challenges in Chemicals andAutomotive MaterialsIn emerging and other countries, demand has grownand needs have diversified so the division has had touse all kinds of materials to adapt to the environment.In the automobile materials field, for example, it hasmanufactured and sold plastic materials as part of itssupply of materials for automobile manufacturing sincethe 2000s, especially in light of automakers’plans andproposals for plug-in hybrid (PHV), EVs and other nextgenerationautomotive needs. In the chemicals business,the division has handled a wide range of chemicalraw materials for detergents, hygiene products, andpackaging materials and utilized its powerful sales forceand network in Asia as it sought inroads in the iodinebusiness,medical,fertilizers,andothernewareas.3 Integrating Chemicals and AutomotiveMaterials OperationsToyota Tsusho and Tomen’s subsidiaries ToyotsuPlachem, Tomen Chemical, and Tomen Plastics Salesall promoted the sales of chemicals and automotivematerials. A successful integration of managementbetween Toyota Tsusho and Tomen facilitated the mergerResin pelletsHistory141