Ricoh to Produce MFPs Using 100-Percent Renewable Energy
On August 5th, Ricoh Company of Tokyo, Japan, announced that it was committing to an ambitious plan under which it would produce its A3 MFPs using 100-percent renewable energy.
The company stated that from its current fiscal year on, it will use electricity sourced from 100-percent renewable energy to cover its electric power needs in assembling its core A3 MFPs. The move is part of Ricoh’s commitment to the RE100 goal of using 100-percent renewable electricity in operations. RE100 is a global initiative supported by companies agreeing to procure 100 percent of the electricity for operations from renewable energy sources.
All electricity at sites where Ricoh assembles its A3 MFPs, including reconditioned models, will be obtained from renewable energy sources.
Since announcing its participation in RE100 in April 2017, Ricoh says it’s undertaken various energy-saving and other eco-friendly initiatives. It’s also installed in-house power generation facilities and has switched to electricity sources consisting of a higher proportions of renewable energy. To date, it’s switched to 100-percent renewable electricity at nine sales companies in Europe, and for reuse/recycling processes in manufacturing in France. Other Ricoh initiatives include acquiring third-party Nearly ZEB qualification at the Gifu branch of Ricoh Japan, a domestic sales company. (Nearly ZEB refers to a Nearly Net Zero Energy Building, that is, a building conserving 75 percent or more of its energy, approaching zero energy consumption annually.)
This latest initiative is based on purchase agreements for I-REC (International Renewable Energy Certificate) and J-Credit derived from renewable energy, matching the 37GWh of electricity that Ricoh is buying this fiscal year for all company facilities for A3 MFP assembly. Once power purchases for this fiscal year are finalized, the certificates will be redeemed and the credits retired. ( Editor’s Note: J-Credit refers to procurement credit based on a government certification system under which the Japanese government certifies as a “credit” the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions reduced as a result of the introduction of energysaving devices or the use of renewable energy, or absorbed as a result of appropriate forest management.)
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