Company History

Nov. 1946

Our company started out as Glass-lined Product Department of Kobe Steel, Ltd. when a Glass-lined Plant was constructed on the premises of the Kobe Steel Yamanote Plant. Manufacturing of glass-lined product and sales for export were commenced from the following year.

Jun. 1954

Kobe Steel, Ltd. made a technical tie-up with a US company Pfaudler, and spun off the Glass-lined Product Department and incorporated it as an independent company named “Shinko Pfaudler Co.,Ltd.” with 90 million yen capital jointly invested by Kobe Steel and Pfaudler.

Dec. 1957

Shinko Pfaudler broke into water treatment equipment business.

Mar. 1962

Shinko Pfaudler broke into cooling tower business.

Nov. 1962

Shinko Pfaudler broke into sewage and organic waste water treatment equipment business.

Jul. 1976

Harima Factory was completed and commenced its operation.

Aug. 1978Kobe Steel

First sewage sludge incineration plant was delivered.

Mar. 1982Kobe Steel

First municipal waste incineration plant was delivered.

Oct. 1989

Shinko Pfaudler Co.,Ltd. was renamed to Shinko Pantec Co.,Ltd.

Apr. 1992

All manufacturing functions were put together into the Harima Factory, which then changed its name to Harima Manufacturing Plant.

Technology Laboratory was set up in the Kobe Hightech Park. (Nishi Ward, Kobe City)

Aug. 1994

Shinko Pantec was listed in the Second Section on the Osaka Securities Exchange.
(Current Tokyo Stock Exchange)

Jan. 1999

Shinko Pantec broke into PCB treatment business.

Apr. 1999

Environment Analysis Center was set up, and started analytical services for specified chemical substances and microchemical substances.

Feb. 2001

New headquarters was completed.

Oct. 2003

The environmental business unit of Kobe Steel, Ltd. was consolidated into Shinko Pantec Co., Ltd, which was renamed to Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., Ltd.

Jun. 2005

SD supply business for PCB detoxification facilities started at Harima Manufacturing Plant.

Dec. 2005

Waste Management Final Disposal Site started its business.

Sep. 2006

Sagamihara city ordered our fluidized-bed gasification and melting furnace, a facility that will be the largest of its kind in Japan. (Kobelco Eco-Solutions thus commands the top position in the domestic market for such facilities.)

Nov. 2006

Kobe city ordered from us for the first domestic “bio-gasification facilities” for refining biogas from sewage sludge with a high methane concentration.

Apr. 2008

“Eco Station” at the Higashi-Nada Plant in Kobe City, a facility for supplying biogas started its operation.

Jun. 2008

SD supply business for PCB detoxiation facilities stated at Muroran SD Production Plant.

Apr. 2009

Vietnam Office was opened. (Ho Chi Minh city)

Dec. 2009

The View Clean Okuetsu, a municipal waste processing facility located in Fukui Prefecture, achieved 308 days of continuous operations.

Jan. 2010

Dusseldorf Office was opened.

Oct. 2010

Injection of biogas from sewage into utility gas pipelines started at the Higashi-Nada Plant in Kobe City. (first case in Japan)

Nov. 2010

Overseas affiliate, KOBELCO ECO-SOLUTIONS VIETNAM CO.,LTD. was established in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Jul. 2013

Kobelco Eco-Solutions was listed on the second section of Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Jul. 2013

Vietnam overseas affiliate opened a Hanoi branch office.

Oct. 2013

Vietnam overseas affiliate set up a factory for manufacturing glass-lined process equipment.

Oct. 2014

Maintenance business was acquired from Kobelco Eco-Maintenance Co.,Ltd.

Oct. 2015

Opened an office in Cambodia. (Phnom Penh city)

Nov. 2015

“Notification of Commencement of Business” was filed in regard to production and sale of Euglena. (food ingredient)

Apr. 2016

Wood biomass power generation plant started its operation at Ono City, Fukui Prefecture.

Jan. 2017

Sales of Kobe Euglena started.

Jul. 2018

MICAREA Co., Ltd. was established. (at Kobelco Eco-Solutions Head Office)

Jun. 2019

The waste treatment facility business unit of IHI Enviro Corporation was merged into Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., Ltd.

Sep. 2019

Opened an office in the UK. (London)

Oct. 2021

Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., Ltd. was delisted from the second section of Tokyo Stock Exchange through the share exchange with Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Nov. 2021

Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., Ltd. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kobe Steel, Ltd.

Apr. 2024

Düsseldorf Office reopened.