TOKYO, Jan 30, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd. (MHI Thermal Systems), a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has received the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Commissioner's Award (Transportation Field) in the Best Products and Business Models category of the Energy Conservation Center, Japan's (ECCJ) 2024 Energy Conservation Grand Prize Awards, for its TEJ35AM electric-driven transport refrigeration unit(1) integrated with the ELF EV, an electric truck made by Isuzu Motors Ltd. (Isuzu). The award was shared by MHI Thermal Systems and Isuzu. The winning unit was cited for its ability to maintain a constant temperature inside the cargo room, enabled by sharing of battery power by TEJ35AM and ELF EV, and for its simultaneous contributions to CO2 reduction and energy savings. The awards ceremony was held in Tokyo on January 29.
ECCJ's Energy Conservation Grand Prize Awards are presented in recognition of outstanding energy-saving initiatives at businesses or workplaces that should serve as model examples for other companies, or superior energy-saving products or business models. The awards program was created to contribute to the formation of an energy-saving society by spreading energy conservation awareness throughout Japan and promoting the adoption of energy-saving products. Previously, in 2019 MHI Thermal Systems received ECCJ's Energy Conservation Grand Prize in the Transportation Field for its TE20/TE30 Series of electric-driven refrigeration units(2).
In the 2024 award-winning combination, the TEJ35AM and ELF EV achieves coordinated power control that gives priority to temperature control in the cargo room. The TEJ35AM operates at maximum capacity immediately after engine startup, enabling quick temperature control; and once the target temperature is reached, it operates with outstanding efficiency. Together these features realize waste-free operation using limited power. Combination with the ELF EV enables a 21.3% reduction in annual average energy consumption, 46.1% reduction in annual average CO2 emissions, and 42.2% reduction in annual energy costs compared to conventional refrigeration trucks(3), thereby contributing to decarbonization advancement and energy cost reduction.
The TEJ35AM was launched in 2023 as an electric-driven transport refrigeration unit with a heat-pump heating function exclusively for EVs. Adoption of a heat-pump heating system enables simultaneous heating and cooling operations with outstanding efficiency. This duality enables the TEJ35AM to accommodate diverse transport modes, including simultaneous transport of products requiring multiple temperatures, to meet the needs of convenience stores and other users. Furthermore, because the refrigeration unit can be operated under all vehicle operating conditions - running, idling, parked or charging - the temperature inside the cargo room can be kept stable at all times, easing the need for the driver to continually check the cargo room temperature and battery power level.
With receipt of the latest ECCJ award, MHI Thermal Systems renews its determination to develop technologies and products that will contribute to further CO2 reductions and energy savings. Also, going forward the Company will apply its integrated technological strengths derived from synergies realized from the breadth of its business areas - not only in the refrigerated transport field but also in thermal engineering targeting enhanced energy efficiency in plants of all kinds, large-scale refrigeration systems for temperature control in large spatial areas, air-conditioning products for creating diverse comfortable spaces, automotive air-conditioners, etc. - to provide optimal thermal solutions that respond to diverse customer needs.
(1) For further information see the following press release: www.mhi.com/news/23033002.html
(2) For further information see the following press release: www.mhi.com/news/200129.html
(3) Figures are based on simulations comparing with earlier refrigeration trucks operated under delivery conditions assumed by MHI Thermal Systems and Isuzu.
About MHI Group
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world’s leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.