Higashimatsuyama Works of Nippon Paper Chemicals (located in Higashimatsuyama City in Saitama Prefecture; Director: Norio Yabe) has replaced its heavy oil boilers with utility (natural) gas boilers and started operations. Through this fuel shift, the plant expects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil energy by 900 tons a year. The utility gas for the new boiler is supplied by Bushu Gas Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kawagoe City in Saitama Prefecture). This investment has been subsidized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry under its official program to promote an energy shift to natural gas for energy-intensive facilities. 

Revising its Environmental Charter in March, the Nippon Paper Group has specified in the Green Action Plan 2010 a target to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels by 10% below the fiscal 1990 level on a per-product basis by fiscal 2010. In line with the Group's total challenge to propel a shift in fuel and achieve energy saving, Nippon Paper Chemicals continues to take action to prevent global warming in its operations. Higashimatsuyama Works manufactures functional film, mainly the optical film used in PC notebooks and LCD monitors.

The newly installed boilers