Maximizing operations and investing in modern, energy-saving technology has helped reduce the energy consumption per unit of product at Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd. by approximately 14.4%, from 0.124 MWh per thousand products in 2019 to 0.106 MWh per thousand products in 2023.

Established in 2001, Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd. has grown over nearly 25 years, employing more than 22,000 staff and affirming its position as a leading Japanese FDI enterprise in Vietnam, with three factories located in Thang Long Industrial Park (Hanoi), Que Vo Industrial Park, and Tien Son Industrial Park (Bac Ninh). The company’s “Made in Vietnam” printers are 100% exported to customers worldwide.

On average, Canon Vietnam consumes about 6.3 million kWh of electricity per month. Fully aware that using energy efficiently helps reduce raw material consumption and production costs while improving economic performance, Canon Vietnam has invested in technical equipment and optimized operations, energy management, and control at all departments and units from the start.

Mr. Yohei Seiki, Senior Deputy Director of the Administration Management Division at Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd., said: “Efficient, sustainable energy use is a top priority for Canon Vietnam. This is reflected in the first goal of our environmental policy issued by company leadership: ‘Maximize the efficiency of energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and resources through proactive control and toward lean manufacturing.' " 

To optimize energy use, the company annually replaces high-energy-consuming equipment such as air conditioners, chillers, AHUs, and high-efficiency air compressors. It also gradually replaces older production machinery—including plastic molding machines, plastic dryers, and component pickers—with newer, energy-saving models.

Since air conditioning is a major electricity consumer, Canon Vietnam installed motorized air dampers in production areas in 2021 to reduce AC load and better utilize outside air. This solution saves about 479 MWh per year.

“Previously, the OAC system constantly ran to draw fresh air into the AHU, cool it, and then supply it to the workshop, with return air recirculated for further cooling. After installing automatic air dampers and using temperature sensors, when the outdoor temperature drops below 25°C, the OAC stops automatically, the fresh air damper opens, and air flows directly to the AHU and then to the workshop. Simultaneously, the return air damper closes. This reduces the load on both the OAC and AHU,” Mr. Yohei Seiki explained.

Additionally, the company has replaced low-efficiency lights with high-efficiency LED lights, with LEDs now accounting for over 95% of all lighting at the factory.

From 2019–2023, Canon Vietnam installed and operated ice storage tanks to reduce peak-hour chiller operation. In winter, the chillers rarely operate during peak hours, significantly reducing electricity costs. The company also invested in equipment connected to the temperature control system of plastic molding machines (Kanetsu) to reuse excess energy in winter.

Canon Vietnam partnered with Thang Long Industrial Park Infrastructure Co., Ltd. to install rooftop solar panels for production and kitchen operations, aiming for green energy use. To date, around 16% of electricity at the Thang Long plant (Hanoi) comes from solar energy, contributing to energy savings.

The company also improved plastic molding machines, which typically remain on during idle times between production batches. To avoid wasting electricity, they installed auxiliary equipment such as sensors and set the machines to automatically switch to power-saving mode when idle and shut off when not in use.

Canon Vietnam insulated the heating units of plastic molding and welding machines, and improves insulation materials annually to optimize energy savings. This solution reduces heat loss and prevents heat dissipation into the environment, minimizing energy waste.

Following the policy of “Optimizing Energy Use Efficiency,” the company established an Energy Management Board led by the General Director. This board is responsible for developing operational regulations, energy-saving plans, and researching/applying effective energy-saving solutions.
The board holds monthly meetings to evaluate performance and propose necessary adjustments. Activities and results are shared among plants and departments to assess and expand implementation.

Canon Vietnam conducts regular annual training and onboarding sessions for new employees. Awareness is raised through meetings, banners, videos, and loudspeaker announcements encouraging staff to save electricity and turn off unused devices.

Engineers have been sent to participate in energy manager training courses organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. So far, Canon Vietnam has five certified Energy Managers.

The company also applied automation and industrial IoT technology (“Industry 4.0”) in energy management. The smart energy management system (BMS) connects directly to mobile phones. If equipment malfunctions, runs overloaded, or has voltage fluctuations causing energy waste, the system alerts responsible staff via phone to promptly check and resolve the issue, minimizing unnecessary energy loss.

In 2022, Canon Vietnam further developed its energy management system to monitor hourly energy use and promptly detect waste points such as air leaks or forgotten equipment, introducing solutions such as timers and interlocks between lighting and air valves.

Thanks to comprehensive and effective implementation of energy-saving solutions, Canon Vietnam Co., Ltd. is one of the key energy users with a high level of energy savings. Specifically, electricity consumption decreased by approximately 11%, from 85,845 MWh in 2019 to 76,054 MWh in 2023—equivalent to a reduction of around 600 tons of CO₂ per year.

Additionally, the company was honored with Second Prize in the “2024 Industrial Energy Efficiency Awards”—an award organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Vietnam Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency (VECEA) to recognize and honor exemplary models and solutions for efficient energy use in industrial production.