Shizuoka Gas Company has started a new industrial service from this January. The first customer for the service is Tenma Tokushu Seishi K.K., a manufacturer of specialty paper located in the city of Fuji.

In this new service, Shizuoka Gas installs, operates and maintains natural-gas-fired co-generation facilities on the customer’s premises, and sells the electricity and steam produced to the customer, as opposed to selling the gas. As the customers do not build, operate, or maintain the co-generation facilities for the production of electricity and steam at their own risk or on their own account, they are released from the need for initial capital investment as well as from the expenses involved in operating and maintaining the facilities.

This new gas-related business is attracting considerable interest from industrial enterprises within the supply territory of Shizuoka Gas, and it is expected that there will be other customers to follow.

The opening ceremony for the facilities will take place on January 21, 2005.