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Komatsu Reports Record 2025 Sales but Profits Decline
Akihiro Komuro Komatsu announced that its revenue reached a record high for fiscal 2025 due to the effects of a weaker yen and improved pricing. However, the company explained that profits fell below the previous year’s level due to declining demand for construction machinery in North America and rising costs.
In North America, the company reported that demand for residential construction remained sluggish and that machinery purchases by rental companies had also declined. It also noted that the Asian market remained generally weak.
Conversely, demand for mining equipment remained high, with the resources sector underpinning its performance. It also stated that its parts and services business had performed steadily.
Furthermore, although Komatsu acknowledged that ‘the business environment remains uncertain’, the company expressed the view that ‘infrastructure investment and mining demand will remain robust’.
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Yanmar To Build Plant for Marine Hydrogen Engines
Akihiro Komuro Yanmar Power Solutions is advancing the development of engines that are compatible with next-generation fuels. In anticipation of future increased production volumes of marine and land-based engines, the company has acquired a site in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture.
The new plant will be used to conduct test runs of marine hydrogen engines and to reorganize and strengthen production capabilities, including those of existing plants. The new plant is scheduled to begin operations about March 2029.
In the marine industry, there are ongoing efforts to develop and commercialize decarbonization technologies with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Leveraging its expertise in engine development and production, Yanmar Power Solutions plans to develop powertrains compatible with next-generation fuels, including hydrogen, methanol and ammonia, and establish production systems to support them.
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EcoFlow Launches 2kWh Portable Power Station
Akihiro Komuro EcoFlow Technology Japan has announced that it launched its new “DELTA 3 2000 Air” portable power station. Positioned in the 2kWh class, the new unit combines 1,920Wh of storage capacity with a lightweight design aimed at improving portability for household backup power, vehicle use and outdoor applications. The company simultaneously released a 220W lightweight bifacial solar panel using TOPCon cells, presenting the products as a combined solution for improving energy self-sufficiency during outages and off-grid use.
Despite its relatively compact dimensions of 220 × 223 × 426 mm, the DELTA 3 2000 Air offers rated output of 1,000W with 1,500W surge capacity and dual AC outlets. EcoFlow says the unit can support essential appliances such as refrigerators, lighting, notebook PCs and communications equipment during blackouts. The product uses lithium iron phosphate batteries and is rated for about 3,000 charge-discharge cycles while retaining 70% capacity, underscoring its positioning as a long-life backup power device rather than a short-term consumer gadget.
The company also highlighted disaster-preparedness and business continuity planning (BCP) applications, noting that the system can be used for communications backup, temporary server protection and auxiliary power for medical devices in homes and small offices. Its flat handle and compact form factor are intended to make storage easier in limited spaces such as under car seats or in narrow household gaps. The newly launched 220W bifacial solar panel, weighing approximately 5.1 kg, is designed to complement the power station by enabling more autonomous power supply in disaster or outdoor settings. -
Marine Hydrogen Engine Project Aims for 2028
Akihiro Komuro The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Yanmar Power Solutions, and Japan Engine Corporation have announced the installation of new liquefied hydrogen fuel supply equipment for demonstration purposes, as well as the start of land-based operation of marine hydrogen engines.
This is part of a project commissioned by NEDO’s Green Innovation Fund/Next-Generation Ship Development Project. Three purely domestic engine manufacturers have formed a consortium: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Yanmar Power Solutions, and Japan Engine.
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Delays in Agricultural Equipment Delivery Worsen
Akihiro Komuro The increase in 2025 rice prices has provided Japanese farmers with more financial flexibility, leading to a surge in demand for upgrades to agricultural machinery. However, farmers are reporting longer wait times for machinery orders, sometimes up to a year. They are expressing concerns such as, “We can’t plan next season’s operations,” and “If delivery is delayed until next year, can we really count it as an expense for this year?”
Many small- and medium-sized farms had delayed replacing machinery due to prolonged low rice prices, opting instead to repair old equipment or purchase used machinery. The 2025 rice harvest, however, saw more farmers gain financial leeway, increasing the demand for replacing or purchasing new machinery.
While agricultural machinery manufacturers have been increasing production of high-efficiency models, such as smart farm equipment, targeting large-scale agricultural corporations, the supply-demand balance has shifted. This has created a situation in which supply cannot keep pace with the sudden surge in demand.
Source: JA.com
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J-ENG Launches Marine Engine Fueled by Ammonia
Akihiro Komuro Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) has announced the completion of its first full-scale ammonia-fueled engine. The engine is due to be shipped to Japan Marine United (JMU)’s Ariake Works for installation on an ammonia-fueled ammonia carrier (AFMGC) which is currently under construction at the facility. The vessel is scheduled to enter service in November 2026.
Source: Kaiji Press Online
PSR Analysis: J-ENG’s first domestically produced ammonia fuel engine is a significant milestone as Japan strives to lead the way in marine decarbonization technology. Ammonia emits no CO₂ during combustion, making it a strong candidate for alternative fuels under the stricter IMO GHG regulations.
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Kawasaki Launches Hybrid Hydrogen Engine
JAPAN REPORT
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has launched a generator engine that runs on a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen. It can operate using a hydrogen blend of up to 30% by volume relative to natural gas. This is the world’s first product of its kind to be launched.
The newly launched 'Hydrogen-Blended Gas Engine' is based on existing natural gas-fueled power generation engines. Due to the explosion risk posed by hydrogen, it is equipped with safety devices and mechanisms to remove residual hydrogen…
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Sharing of EV Battery Data Supported by METI
Akihiro Komuro The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry says it will support the development of an industry-wide system for sharing information on the degradation status of EV batteries. Toyota and Honda will provide battery-related data to used car dealers, insurance companies and others. The aim is to prevent the export of used EVs overseas and enable the domestic utilization of batteries containing critical minerals.
Currently, battery degradation is difficult to assess, resulting in low trade-in prices for used EVs in the domestic market. The fact that approximately 80% were exported overseas was a cause for concern.
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